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iNCOVACC can produce 3 immune responses, no other nasal vaccine in the world can produce: Bharat Biotech Chairman Dr Krishna Ella

ANI
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iNCOVACC can produce 3 immune responses, no other nasal vaccine in the world can produce: Bharat Biotech Chairman Dr Krishna Ella

Bharat Biotech’s Chairman and MD Dr Krishna Ella, on the launch of the ‘iNCOVACC’ vaccine, said that the vaccine is easy to deliver and doesn’t need any syringe or needle. As the country marked its 74th Republic Day, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh launched Bharat Biotech’s first India-made nasal Covid-19 vaccine, iNCOVACC.

“It’s easy to deliver and doesn’t need any syringe or needle and most important it produces three immune responses, IgG, IgA, & T cell response. No other vaccine in the world can produce three responses compared to the injectable, which produced mostly IgG or T cells response,” said Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman & MD, Bharat Biotech while talking to ANI.

It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC), a PSU under the Dept of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

Expressing his elation at the event, Dr Mandaviya said, “Over 65 per cent of vaccines supplied in the world are from India. Congratulating the BBIL team and the dept of Biotech for bringing about the world’s first nasal vaccine, he stated that “being the world’s first intra-nasal COVID19 vaccine, this marks a glorious tribute to the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

The Union Health Minister added that India’s vaccine manufacturing and innovation capability is appreciated all over the world as it has made a mark in producing quality and affordable medicines. He also highlighted that BBIL in collaboration with ICMR introduced COVAXIN in India within a month of the launch of first COVID vaccine in the world.

Congratulating BBIL for innovating another vaccine in collaboration with BIRAC, Dr Jitendra Singh said that “India has taken a lead in developing vaccines and medicines for diseases common in the developing world”.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention and regular monitoring for inspiring and enabling the launching of “Mission Covid Suraksha” which has not only strengthened AatmaNirbhar Bharat but also bolstered India’s status as a worldwide vaccine development and manufacturing centre, thus showcasing the strength of India’s Science and Technology capabilities.

“Next step would be to develop vaccines for non-communicable diseases”, he added.

He also stated that ZyCoV-D, the world’s first and India’s indigenously developed DNA-based vaccine for Covid-19 to be administered in humans including children and adults 12 years and above, was also developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science and Technology under ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’ through BIRAC.

iNCOVACC is a cost-effective covid vaccine which does not require syringes, needles, alcohol wipes, bandages, etc, saving costs related to procurement, distribution, storage, and biomedical waste disposal, that is routinely required for injectable vaccines. 

It utilizes a vector-based platform, which can be easily updated with emerging variants leading to large-scale production, within a few months. These rapid response timelines combined with the ability of cost-effective and easy intranasal delivery, make it an ideal vaccine to address future infectious diseases, stated an official release.

A rollout of iNCOVACC is expected to begin in private hospitals that have placed advance orders. An initial manufacturing capacity of several million doses per annum has been established, this can be scaled up to a billion doses as required. iNCOVACC is priced at INR 325/dose for large volume procurement by State Governments and Govt of India, as per an official release.

Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Dept of Biotechnology, Shri Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, of Technology Development Board and other senior officials of the Ministry were present on occasion. Dr Krishna Ella, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech and Smt. Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder and MD, of Bharat Biotech were also present.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Meet Dr SL Bhyrappa – Padma Bhushan awardee of 2023

Anurag
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Meet Dr SL Bhyrappa – Padma Bhushan awardee of 2023

Dr Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa (Dr SL Bhyrappa), a renowned Kannada novelist who has written twenty-four novels, six critical works, and an autobiography, has been awarded Padma Bhushan this year. Dr Bhyrappa is one of the highest-selling Kannada authors in recent times. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi fellowship in 2015 and the Padma Shri in 2016. In 2023, he has been awarded the Padma Bhushan. Dr Bhyrappa has received honorary doctorates from six universities.

Dr Bhyrappa has garnered much acclaim as a novelist, his books have been translated into various Indian languages and have been topping the bestseller lists even in Marathi for the past decade. He is among the top five bestsellers in Hindi as well. His works reflect a deep understanding of India’s philosophical and cultural traditions, demonstrated through characters steeped in their Indian identity.

The books he has written have been incorporated into the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in the state of Karnataka and have inspired about 20 Ph.D. dissertations. He has written 24 novels, four volumes of literary criticism, and books on aesthetics, social issues, and culture. Over the past three decades, he has been a Professor of Philosophy at NCERT. His novels have been translated into almost all Indian languages and six of them have been translated into English.

Dr Bhyrappa is not only into writing, but is also an avid art collector and traveller. He has travelled across the globe, including glaciers at the poles, rainforests of the Amazon, deserts of Africa, and several cities around the world.

His first novel Bheemakaya was published in 1958. One of his iconic novels, Aavarana was published in 2007. The novel’s main character, Lakshmi, is a rebellious, intelligent, and free-spirited filmmaker who marries Amir. As the story goes, though Lakshmi was not in favour of conversion, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Razia to marry Amir. Later, she found her husband was not open-minded and progressive, something he had projected himself to be. Amir sided with his family and forced Lakshmi to follow Islam rigorously.

The novel stirred controversy, and Dr Bhyrappa was deemed a Hindu fundamentalist who wanted to divide society. However, through time, it has been noted that what Dr Bhyrappa talked about in his novel is exactly what happens in the cases related to Grooming Jihad (Love Jihad).

In an article, author Sandeep Balakrishna talked about the controversial Tanishq ad that revolves around a Hindu woman who married a Muslim family. While drawing a comparison of Aavarana with the ad, Balakrishna wrote, “The type of Muslim mother-in-law shown in the Tanishq ad exists only in the ad. In the real world, the common terminology is more akin to Razia’s mother-in-law in Dr S.L. Bhyrappa’s iconic novel, Aavarana. To get a first-hand, in-depth understanding of the complete, real-life implications of Lakshmi’s transformation to Razia, read the book.”

Bihar: E-Rickshaw driver returning from mother’s last rites beaten to death for offering ₹20 as donation instead of demanded ₹1000

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: E-Rickshaw driver returning from mother’s last rites beaten to death for offering ₹20 as donation instead of demanded ₹1000

In a shocking incident in Bihar, a youth was lynched by a mob for refusing to give ₹1000 as a donation for Saraswati Puja which was celebrated today. The incident took place on Tuesday in Vijaypur village under Sirdala police station in Nawada district, where e-rickshaw driver Ravindra Rajbanshi was badly beaten by a group of people.

Ravindra Rajbanshi was the bread-earner for the family, who used to drive an e-rickshaw. He was killed when he was returning from the last rites of his mother. Ravindra Rajbanshi’s brother Vinay Rajvanshi said that their mother passed away, and everyone had gone to the river to bathe after the last rites.

According to reports, 26-year-old Ravindra Rajbanshi, a resident of Asha Bigha village in the same district was stopped near Vijaypur village by a group of 12-15 people, who were stopping the vehicles on the road and collecting donations for Saraswati Puja. They demanded ₹1000 as ‘chanda’ (donation) from Ravindra, but he said that he is unable to pay such a high amount.

He also told them that he was returning from taking a bath at the in the river after performing the last rites of his mother, and he does not have so much amount. But the youths didn’t relent. Ravindra Rajbanshi then offered to pay ₹20 when the youths refused to let him go without paying chanda.

The youths got enraged when offered this amount, and they pulled him out of the vehicle and started beating and kicking him. They also allegedly strangled him, and when he stopped responding, they fled from the scene.

After getting information about the incident, relatives of Ravindra reached the place and rushed him to Sadar Hospital in Nawada. But the doctors at the hospital declared him brought dead. He had suffered deep internal injuries from the assault, due to which he died.

Police swung into action after the incident, and have arrested one accused in the case. Nawada SP Amrish Rahul said that as soon as the information was received, the police reached the spot and started the investigation. The arrested person has been identified as Birendra Rajvanshi alias Biru Rajbanshi, who was allegedly drunk during the incident. The incident took place near the shop of Birendra. Raids are being conducted to nab the others involved in the crime.

The murder created tension in both the villages, and police from Sirdala and Akbarpur police stations are camping in the area to prevent any flare up.

‘If younger brother leaves, elder brother will grab ancestral property,’ Upendra Kushwaha hits back after Nitish Kumar asks him to quit party

OpIndia Staff
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‘If younger brother leaves, elder brother will grab ancestral property,’ Upendra Kushwaha hits back after Nitish Kumar asks him to quit party

The verbal fight between two JD(U) senior leaders Nitish Kumar and Upendra Kushwaha reached its pinnacle on Wednesday, January 25, with Kushwaha lashing at the Bihar CM asserting that he won’t leave without obtaining his rightful share in the party that he has been nurturing.

In a tweet posted in Hindi, Kushwaha stated that if the younger brother leaves relinquishing his share, then the elder brother will usurp the ‘ancestral property’.

“Well said, Bhai Saheb. If the younger brothers keep leaving the house like this at the advice of the elder brothers, then all elder brothers will grab the entire property of Baap-Dada (ancestors) by throwing away the younger brothers. How can I go out leaving behind my share…?” JD(U) ‘disgruntled’ parliamentary board chairman tweeted in Hindi.

Upendra Kushwaha’s tweet came after Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar hinted that he will be happy if Kushwaha leaves the party.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Nitish Kumar said that Kushwaha was free to go anywhere as per his wishes. “If he wants to join another party or alliance, he is free to do so.” The CM’s comment came after Upendra Kushwaha sought details of the deal that the party has made with RJD.

Kushwaha said that Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) has been officially saying that a deal was made with JD(U) at the time of forming the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, and added that he wants to know the details of the ‘deal’. “We all want to know what the deal is about? Those who were part of the deal from the JD(U) must reveal it soon,” he had said.

But CM Nitish Kumar dismissed his demands, de-facto asking him to leave the party.

He also refuted Kushwaha’s claim that the party was getting weaker and many party leaders with were connected to other parties, including BJP. Nitish categorically said that JD(U) has not become weak rather it got stronger recently, pointing out that “the latest membership drive saw our strength swell from less than 50 lahks to 75 lahks”.

“Our party has not become weak. These are false allegations, let people say whatever they want. No one from our party is in contact with any other party. I have not stopped anyone, leaders can come and go according to their own wishes,” Nitish remarked.

When asked about Kushwaha’s recent allegation that senior JD(U) leaders are in contact with the BJP, Nitish asked, “Have you the name of any JD(U) leader who is in contact with the BJP? Please provide the name. The man who himself wants to get in touch with the BJP keeps making such audacious allegations. What can you do about such a person?”

Nitish also pointed out that many leaders who he promoted in the party left the organisation. “Let him (Kushwaha) also leave the party as early as possible,” the CM said, indicating that the JD(U) doors for Kushwaha have now been closed. Nitish Kumar also said that he suspects that Kushwaha is in touch with the BJP.

Kushwaha returned to the JD(U) in 2021, eight years after quitting, merging his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and besides the respectable party post, was quickly rewarded with a berth in the legislative council.

Things between the mentor and protégé turned sour when speculations in the media emerged that Kushwaha could become Deputy CM, prompting a stern denial from Kumar, who made it clear that RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav will remain the sole occupant of the post.

Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 set to release on Independence Day, will clash with Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ and Alia Bhatt’s Hollywood debut ‘Heart of Stone’

ANI
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Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 set to release on Independence Day, will clash with Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ and Alia Bhatt’s Hollywood debut ‘Heart of Stone’

From Lagaan to Laal Singh Chaddha, Bollywood has witnessed various big box office clashes and this time also history repeats itself.

From ‘Gadar’ vs ‘Lagaan’ in 2001 to ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ vs ‘Raksha Bandhan’ in 2022. Now as the makers of ‘Gadar 2’ unveiled the official release date of their film on Thursday, seems like history is going to repeat itself.

Sunny Deol’s action film ‘Gadar 2’ will be facing a big clash with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s upcoming films.

‘Gadar 2’ is all set to hit the theatres on August 11, 2023, and interestingly, Ranbir’s next action thriller film ‘Animal’ and Alia Bhatt’s Hollywood debut film ‘Heart of Stone’ will also be releasing on the same day.

Helmed by Anil Sharma, ‘Gadar 2’ also stars actors Ameesha Patel and Utkarsh Sharma in the lead roles.

Taking to Instagram, Sunny shared the poster of the film which he captioned, “Hindustan Zindabaad Hai….Zindabaad Tha.. .aur Zindabaad Rahega! This Independence Day, we bring to you the biggest sequel in Indian cinema after two decades. #Gadar2 releasing in Cinemas on 11th August 2023.”

‘Animal’ on the other hand, is helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role.

Recently makers unveiled the first look poster of the film the ‘Sanju’ actor in which he could be seen holding an axe under his arm with blood stains on his shoulder and lighting up a cigarette.

Alia, on the other hand, recently unveiled the official release date of her upcoming Hollywood film ‘Heart of Stone’ in which she will be seen opposite actor Gal Gadot.

Helmed by Tom Harper, ‘Heart of Stone’ is intended to be the first instalment in a series akin to Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission Impossible’. ‘Heart of Stone’ will stream exclusively on the OTT platform Netflix.

Which film are you eagerly waiting for?

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Bharat Biotech launches the world’s first intranasal Covid vaccine iNCOVACC on Republic Day

ANI
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Bharat Biotech launches the world’s first intranasal Covid vaccine iNCOVACC on Republic Day

As the country marked its 74th Republic Day, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh launched Bharat Biotech’s first India-made nasal Covid-19 vaccine, iNCOVACC, on Thursday.

“Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), a global leader in vaccine innovation and developer of vaccines for infectious diseases, today dedicated iNCOVACC® (BBV154) to the nation, the world’s 1st COVID intranasal vaccine for Primary series and Heterologous booster,” read a release issued by the firm on Thursday.

“Product development and clinical trials for iNCOVACC® were funded in part by the Government of India, through the Department of Biotechnology’s, Covid Suraksha Program,” the statement informed further.

The firm said it got approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) “for iNCOVACC® to be administered for primary series and as heterologous booster doses”.

“Amid growing Covid-19 cases and emerging variants of the highly transmissible virus, a booster dose of the vaccine becomes imperative. iNCOVACC® is now available on CoWIN, and priced at INR 800 for private markets and INR 325 for supplies to Govt of India and State Governments,” the statement read.

“iNCOVACC® is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results,” it stated further.

Further, according to the statement, the vaccine has been specifically formulated to allow intranasal delivery through nasal drops.

The nasal delivery system has been designed and developed to be cost-effective in low and middle-income countries, informed the pharma firm.

“As needleless vaccination, Bharat Biotech’s iNCOVACC® will be the world’s first such booster dose. India will now have more options when it comes to third doses or precautionary doses,” it said.

“Clinical trials and extensive humoral and cell-mediated responses were conducted to evaluate iNCOVACC® as a primary dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose for subjects who have previously received two doses of the two commonly administered Covid-19 vaccines in India. The intranasal vaccine is stable at 2-8°C for easy storage and distribution and has been designed for efficient distribution and easy pain-free administration,” it informed further.

The firm said despite the relatively low demand for Covid vaccines, “Bharat Biotech continued product development in intranasal vaccines, to be well-prepared with platform technologies for future infectious diseases. Bharat Biotech has also initiated the development of variant-specific vaccines for COVID in an attempt to be future-ready”.

“iNCOVACC® was developed in partnership with Washington University, St. Louis, which had designed and developed the recombinant adenoviral vector construct and evaluated it in preclinical studies for efficacy. Product development related to preclinical safety evaluation, large-scale manufacturing scale-up, formulation and delivery device development, including human clinical trials, were conducted by Bharat Biotech. The Technology Development Board, Govt of India has been instrumental in debt financing for commercial scale manufacturing facilities,” it said.

Dr Krishna Ella, executive chairman, of Bharat Biotech, said, “With the rollout of iNCOVACC® today, we have achieved our goal of establishing a novel vaccine delivery platform for intranasal delivery. It proves that India can innovate for itself and for the world. We and the country are well prepared for future Covid-19 variants and future infectious diseases. We reaffirm our commitment to India, to lead innovation and develop novel vaccine technologies for combating infectious diseases and public health globally. We have proven these capabilities and expertise time and again with innovative vaccines such as TYPBAR TCV, ROTAVAC, JENVAC, COVAXIN and others. Bharat Biotech is a leading global developer and manufacturer of vaccines with more than 7 billion doses manufactured till date.”

Suchitra Ella, MD, said, “It is exemplary that India has not only served herself during the pandemic challenges, but also a strong provider to the global platform in distributing vaccines and medicines to over 150 countries. With iNCOVACC® – the world’s 1st intranasal Covid vaccine, we are privileged to defend the nation’s health with global quality and scale.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Students in NCC uniforms raise ‘Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-hu-Akhbar’ slogans in Aligarh Muslim University, alumnus demands probe

Siddhi Somani
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Students in NCC uniforms raise ‘Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-hu-Akhbar’ slogans in Aligarh Muslim University, alumnus demands probe

On Thursday, amid the 74th Republic Day celebration, several students studying at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) raised “Nara-e-Takbeer, Allah-hu-Akhbar”, and “AMU Jindabad,” slogans raised by the students after the celebration of the 74th Republic Day.

The video of the incident was shared by former District Convenor BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha), Aligarh, Dr Nishit Sharma, who demanded police action against the students who raised anti-India slogans. “War slogans raised on the auspicious occasion of Republic Day inside the Aligarh Muslim University campus. Aligarh Police please take cognizance and take necessary action,” he tweeted.

It is notable that students in NCC uniforms are also seen chanting Islamic slogans on the AMU campus. Reportedly, they chanted religious slogans after the flag hoisting ceremony on the occasion of Republic Day in the university.

Notably, Dr. Nishit Sharma is a dental surgeon and an AMU alumnus. He also shared the video with the SSP Aligarh Kalanidhi Naithani and demanded strict action against the students who raised anti-Hindu slogans in presence of the Vice-Chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, Registrar, Controller of AMU, and other professors.

Aligarh Police replied to the tweet if Sharma, saying that they have talked to the university administration for necessary action. The police posted the same replies to several other Twitter uses who posted the video.

While talking to OpIndia about the incident, Dr. Nishit Sharma said that those students who raised anti-Hindu slogans amid the Republic Day celebrations are seemingly a part of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) unit of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). “The students were giving a war cry on the auspicious occasion of Republic Day. They were saying Allah is great. Raising such slogans on such occasions is not correct. There was no religious event happening on campus. People were celebrating Republic Day. What are they waging war against? Why were they giving a religious angle to the event?” he pondered.

He further said that the students at the AMU were radicalized and were being provided support to instigate war and raise anti-Hindu slogans at the Republic Day celebrations today. “I have studied at AMU. This kind of celebration happens every year in presence of the Vice Chancellor. This year also all the professors and the vice-chancellor were present when the anti-Hindu slogans were raised by the NCC students,” he added.

Dr. Sharma stated that he has established a telephonic conversation with SSP Aligarh Kalanidhi Naithani and has demanded strict action against the students. “I have shared the video with the PRO of the SSP and have asked him to take stringent action. The Police are reviewing the incident. I am also ready to file a police complaint in the matter if required,” he added.

Further while talking to OpIndia, he criticized the radicalized mindset of the AMU students and said, “These students are instigating the youth on the basis of religion on the day when people are supposed to celebrate and honor the Indian Constitution. Nara-e-Takhdeer, Allah-hu-Akhbar is nothing but a war cry. There definitely are some radicalized organizations who are supporting the students at AMU in raising anti-India, anti-Hindu slogans. The video will be investigated and all these people will be exposed.”

As informed by Dr. Sharma, Aligarh Police has been informed about the incident but is yet to respond to the case. Team OpIndia tried to reach the Aligarh Police, but the line remained unestablished.

Is Sameena Ahmad of Alpen Capital, Dubai the third cofounder of Alt News? Here is what we know about her

OpIndia Staff
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Is Sameena Ahmad of Alpen Capital, Dubai the third cofounder of Alt News? Here is what we know about her

Sam Jawed, who goes by the name SamSays and handles SamJawed65 on Twitter, claimed several times that she (or he) is a co-founder of Alt News, a designation that has been removed from all possible resources. However, from time to time, there have been discussions about the identity of this person on social media platforms.

The last article that Sam Jawed wrote for Alt News was in January 2021.

Sam Jawed’s last article for Alt News was in Jan 2021.

Last she interacted with Alt News’ people on Twitter was on December 29, 2022, with Mohammed Zubair on his birthday. Zubair told her that her threads were missed on Twitter to which she replied, “There are a lot of other things to take care other than Twitter.”

Last interaction of Sam Jawed with Zubair on Twitter.

However, while eulogies are written about Zubair and Pratik, there has hardly been any mention of Sam Jawed. Especially when she has been earlier identified as one of the co-founders. When documentaries are made or when ‘Nobel’ nominations are announced, Sam Jawed is conspicuously absent.

During the investigation into the identity of Sam Jawed, we found the profile of one, Sameena Ahmad, Managing Director, Corporate Affairs, of Alpen Capital, Dubai. The photograph used by Sam Jawed has striking similarities with Sameena Ahmad. The resemblance is striking.

This is the photograph used by Sam Jawed on Twitter and a photograph of Sameena Ahmad side-by-side. You can notice the similarities between the features.

Sameena Ahmad’s photograph at Alpen Capital (Left) Sam Jawed’s photograph from Twitter (Right)

Sameena’s profile on Alpen reads, “Sameena heads the Corporate Affairs function, responsible for Marketing, Public Relations and Administration across Alpen Capital group covering its offices in Middle East and India. She is also responsible for the industry research function that publishes Alpen Capital’s highly acclaimed industry research reports on various sectors across the GCC. Sameena has been with Alpen Capital for 12 years and has a total of 34 years of human resources/marketing experience in the financial industry in the UAE and India. In her previous assignment, she was an SVP of Human Resources at Mashreqbank. She was a faculty member at Xaviers Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar in India.”

Furthermore, when we checked different sources to find information about Sameena Ahmad, we found a Rocket Reach profile of Sameena with two email IDs mentioned. One was [email protected], and the second was [email protected]. Which makes one inclined to believe Sameena Ahmad, the Managing Director of Alpen Capital is the third cofounder of Islamist propaganda website Alt News.

Rocket Reach profile showed Sameena’s personal email ID linked to Sam Jawed.

We also found a phone number associated with a person named Sameena Ahmad. When we ran the number through TrueCaller, it had the email id mentioned as [email protected].

A number associated with one Sameena Jawed had Sam Jawed’s email ID linked in Truecaller.

Sam Jawed’s curious case on social media

For years, netizens have tried to find out who Sam Jawed is. On July 14, 2022, during a court hearing of Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s bail, someone linked to Alt News living in Saudi Arabia was mentioned. Netizens curiously asked if it was Sam Jawed. Twitter user BefittingFacts asked, “Where is Alt News researcher @samjawed65 these days? She/he has not tweeted anything since 1st july. @free_thinker all good? Is she/he the same ‘living in Saudi Arabia’ mentioned in court today? Why thr is no transparency about ur researcher? What’s there to hide?”

On May 20, 2021, activist and investigative journalist Vijay wrote a detailed thread on Sam Jawed.

He said that though Sam Jawed claimed to be co-founder of Alt News, her name did not appear in any documentation. Sam Jawed’s name was not mentioned in the list of directors of Pravda Media Foundation, the parent company of Alt News.

Patel further said the ID could be in use as a proxy by one of the directors of the company. He further added how Sam Jawed wrote several reports for different publications including Congress’s mouthpiece National Herald, The Quint, The Wire, Scroll, Newslaundary, Newsclick and more.

Replying to Vijay, OSINT The Hawk Eye wrote, “That’s pretty interesting. Every other writer/editor/co-founder has brief intro & background except Sam.”

Earlier, in 2017, a Twitter user while replying to Pratik Sinha alleged Sam Jawed was Teesta’s friend from Dubai. He wrote, “How abt askin ur Dubai Based hitwoman Sam Jawed (Teestas Pal) whose intelligence relies on Dam Achayan, to expose Venus role in Radia Tapes?”

Source: Twitter

Was Sam Jawed co-founder of Alt News?

Sam Jawed was mentioned as co-founder of Alt News by several portals including The Print and ScoopWhoop.

Though netizens have expressed doubt over Sam Jawed’s links to Alt News, we found a report in The Hindu from July 2017 that mentioned her. In that particular report, Mohammed Zubair’s identity was hidden as well. The report mentioned Pratik Sinha, an anonymous administrator of the ‘Unofficial Subramanian Swamy’ Facebook page and a person who goes by the name “Sam Jawed” as an electric trio.

When we checked Sam Jawed’s Twitter profile, we found that she started talking about Alt News on February 14, 2017. Alt News was founded on February 8, 2017.

Source: Twitter

On April 18, 2017, she shared her first piece on Alt News.

Source: Twitter

Her articles on the portal dated back to April 8, 2017.

Source: Alt News

Sam Jawed used to run a blog on Blogspot by the name “Critical Eye”. All the posts have been deleted from it but the archive can be accessed from here.

OpIndia has reached out to Sameena Ahmad to confirm if she is the same third ‘cofounder’ of Alt News. We shall update the article if we hear back from her.

With Amarnath and Gulmarg, Republic Day tableau of Jammu and Kashmir showcases pilgrimage and tourist destinations of the UT

OpIndia Staff
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With Amarnath and Gulmarg, Republic Day tableau of Jammu and Kashmir showcases pilgrimage and tourist destinations of the UT

The principal themes of the Jammu and Kashmir Republic Day tableau that moved along the Kartavya Path amid nationalistic fervour at the ceremonial avenue were the creation of a “Naya Jammu and Kashmir” and the ancient Amarnath cave sanctuary.

The decorated float demonstrated the pilgrimage and tourist sites in the Union Territory (UT). Two of the biggest attractions in the Valley are represented on the tableau, the Amarnath Shrine and skiing at a Gulmarg resort, with tulips displayed on the sideways.

After the revocation of Article 370, tourism in Jammu and Kashmir has seen significant growth, in the past few years, and for the first time in India’s 75-year history of independence, 1.62 crore tourists visited the region in one day.

The sculptures of a leopard, Kashmiri stags, and Kalij pheasants were shown in the tableau’s tractor section. The once-endangered Kashmiri Stag, popularly referred to as Hangul, the common leopard, and the recently recognized UT bird Kalij Pheasant are all found in the steep parts of Jammu and Kashmir.  In addition, J&K is renowned for its internationally renowned tulip gardens and the popular violet revolution (lavender cultivation), which has created new opportunities for local companies.

The trolley segment featured women working on a lavender farm, tulip gardens, and lavender production. The centre of the trolley featured the mud homes that were being marketed as eco-friendly housing options for tourists, while the trolley’s back end featured the world-famous Amarnath shrine and ski resort Gulmarg.

Public Relations Officer (PRO), Udhampur, Ministry of Defense, tweeted a video of the magnificent tableau.

People viewed a wonderful spectacle of horses clip-clopping, active marching by young people wearing uniforms, tremendous stumping on the pavement, rhythmic drumming, martial music by military bands, powerful tanks, aeroplanes rumbling the skies above, and decorative tableau symbolizing India’s blazing spirit and aspiration.

Earlier, the President’s Bodyguard rode exquisite Bay and Dark Bay-colored steeds to accompany President Droupadi Murmu as she arrived at Kartavya Path. The President’s Bodyguard is the seniormost Regiment of the Indian Army. This year’s Republic Day in 2023 is especially remarkable since “The President’s Bodyguard” is commemorating 250 years since its raising in Varanasi in 1773.

The national flag was raised at Kartavya Path on Thursday to kick off the 74th Republic Day celebrations for the first time since President Droupadi Murmu took office last year.

As per tradition, the national anthem and the obligatory 21 gun salute followed the unfurling of the tricolor. An Air Force officer, Flt Lt Komal Rani, unfurled the national flag at Kartvya Path. The President received the 21 gun salute when the national anthem was playing. Significantly, 105 mm Indian Field Guns were used for the 21 gun salute for the first time. It took the place of the old 25-pounder weapon.

Media organisations from Turkey and Qatar are actively involved in a disinformation campaign against India: Report

ANI
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Media organisations from Turkey and Qatar are actively involved in a disinformation campaign against India: Report

Only Pakistan and the handlers sitting outside Pakistan are considered guilty of the media war against India. The reality, however, is that many media organizations of Turkey and Qatar have also become partners in the campaign, writes Dilshad Noor in a report for the Indian non-profit fact-checking website, Digital Forensics, Research and Analytics Centre (DFRAC).

According to Noor, a research fellow at DFRAC, India needs to understand the alliance between journalists and media organizations settled in Turkey and Qatar, as they provoke both countries to oppose India. “It is unfortunate that such widespread disinformation is being spread about India in the Gulf region,” Noor wrote.

Pro-Pakistan or pro-China groups are often responsible for spreading disinformation targeting India in the Gulf region as these groups seek to undermine India’s relations with the Gulf countries. Disinformation often includes false claims about India’s human rights record, its treatment of minorities, and its foreign policy.

Disinformation refers to spreading false or misleading information to influence public opinion or policy regarding India. This type of disinformation can take many forms, such as fake news, conspiracy theories, or edited photos and videos, Noor said.

The Muslim Brotherhood is banned or suppressed in many countries, including Egypt, where it was designated as a terrorist group in 2013, while many other countries view it as a radicalized and extremist organization. Turkey today is working as the international headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood and is supported by Emir Tamim of Qatar.

The Muslim Brotherhood is a political and social movement founded by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt in 1928. Its stated goal is to promote traditional Islamic values and principles, which has significantly impacted the political and social development of many Muslim-majority countries, writes Noor for the DFRAC report.

According to news that came out in February 2021, Turkey and Pakistan had formed a media front against India. The claim was made by an organization called Mediterranean-Asian Investigative Journalists.

The news was reprinted by the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS). It was reported in the news that TRT World and Anadolu Media have associated several Pakistani and Indian Kashmiri journalists with this campaign.

Turkey’s intelligence agency MIT started working closely with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI’s Pakistan Army’s media wing, ISPR i.e., Inter Service Public Relations, the DFRAC report said.

TRT World has been criticized for being biased in its coverage of India and for spreading misinformation about the country. In some cases, the channel has been accused of spreading misinformation about India’s human rights record and the situation of minorities, particularly Muslims, in India.

The channel has been criticized for promoting a pro-Pakistan view regarding the dispute over the territory of Kashmir. TRT World shows news in many languages including Turkish, English, and Arabic, the DFRAC reported.

TRT World is a 24-hour English-language international news channel owned and operated by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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