With the world facing a new threat with the outbreak of novel Coronavirus in China, India is constantly reviewing the evolving scenario, developments, and preparedness to deal with the situation.

As many as four persons have died in China and over 200 affected with the new diseases. Cases have also been reported from South Korea and Thailand. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will convene an emergency meeting on the novel Coronavirus (nCoV) under the International Health Regulations to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it. The committee will meet on Wednesday.

Highly contagious Coronavirus is believed to be transferred from animals to human beings followed by human to human transfer. Its symptoms range from simple cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and even lesions in the lungs.  

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to Ministry of Civil Aviation to facilitate thermal screening at the International airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin for the airlines to follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines for managing and notifying anybody reporting illness on flights originating from China and disembarking in India.

The Health Ministry has also written to Ministry of External Affairs to provide details of travellers from Wuhan city who have sought visa to travel to India, since 31st December, 2019 and to counsel the applicants while issuing visa. They have also been requested to provide daily details. As for E-visa issue Ministry of Home Affairs is being approached.

Ministry of External Affairs has also been requested to disseminate travel advisory (in local languages) to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries for wider circulation and passenger information.

The Union Health Secretary has also written to the States/UTs to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance, laboratory support infection prevention and control, logistics, risk communication and in particular, hospital preparedness in terms of isolation and ventilator management of critically ill patients of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).

The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) under the Chairmanship of DGHS has met twice (on 8th and 15th January, 2020) to assess the risk and review the preparedness and response mechanisms to manage any case that might get imported to India. WHO, being represented in the JMG is providing Ministry with regular updates and technical information.

A travel advisory has been issued and put up on Ministry’s website and also on the Twitter handle for wider circulation.

Port and Airport Health Organizations have been sensitized and thermal screening has been initiated at the international airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and will be initiated today at Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin airports. The Airport Health Organizations at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have put up signages at prominent locations informing the public about self-reporting of illness. The hospitals attached to these airports have been reviewed for provision of isolation and critical care facilities. Immigration officers manning the counters have been sensitized at these airports.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme has issued advisory to all States/UTs for SARI surveillance to pick up any travel-related case reported in the community and follow up contacts of suspect/confirmed cases, a statement issued by the Health Ministry said.

National Institute of Virology, Pune is fully geared up to test samples of nCoV. Ten other laboratories under the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories network are also equipped to test such samples if a need arises.

The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival will explore ‘the internet can end poverty’ and ‘the digital and virtual futures of mankind’ with renowned authors such as Payal Arora, Marcus du Sautoy, John Lanchester and Sanjoy K. Roy.

The 13th edition of the Festival, which is slated to between 23-27 January at its customary home, the Diggi Palace Hotel in Jaipur. It will discuss important topics such as climate change along with science and technology and the themes integral to our times. 

Technology and its constantly evolving aspects, surveillance capitalism, the issues of privacy on digital platforms, data harvesting and the virtual futures of mankind are just some of the topics that will be covered on a panel consisting of globally-renowned personalities like Marcus du Sautoy, John Lanchester and Jaspreet Bindra on the second day of the Festival. 

While magic is something everyone has believed in at some point of time in their life, science is a fact of life. Explaining the blend of both will be Roger Highfield, author, science journalist and Science Director of the Science Museum group, in conversation with author Keshava Guha, he will tell audiences how he blended the beauty of magic and the facts of science into his latest work – The Accidental Magic.

There has always been a connection between science and the arts which has defined much of the progress mankind has made. A history of these vital connections is what Tilly Blythe will be seen discussing at the session on ‘The Art of Innovation’ along with Payal Arora and Tarun Khanna. Another session, ‘Tech Horizons: The Next Billion Users’, will have Payal Arora and Jaspreet Bindra in conversation with Vindu Goel discussing how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been hyped up when cat videos still tops the list of most popular searches!

A riveting session on Artificial Intelligence and Creativity will see big names from both the genres, Marcus du Sautoy and Sanjoy K. Roy, come together for a gripping session on how Artificial Intelligence and creativity can unite to create something imaginative and futuristic.

Apart from a horde of ideas, the programme will touch upon several themes including economy, translated works of poets and authors, publishing and media along with various aspects of history. For over a decade now, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival has hosted almost 2000 speakers and over a million guests from across the globe and this year will be no different. 

Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.

The Proprietor of Rajlaxmi construction, a leading name in Gujarat, Divyarajsinh Jadeja Vadinar is acing the business that deals with Transport (Rajlaxmi Transport), Petroleum (Rajlaxmi Petroleum), Land Developers (Rajlaxmi Land Developers), or Stone crushers (Rajlaxmi Stone crushers) and has perfected them all. The 26-year-old hails from the city of Gujarat and keeps a keen interest in setting up ownership in various sectors. 

Divyarajsinh’s achievements as a successful business person are worth mentioning. He is already leading in earth moving equipment, transport with a whopping number of 178 trucks and State Petroleum with 5 petrol pumps. He has already set his grounds with highway building construction, flyovers, jetty constructions, etc. Moreover, the benevolent is a preserver to his 850+ staff members. Along with his heavy-duty business calling, the multitasking chap didn’t lose his passion, its interesting how Divyarajsinh owns a jaw-dropping collection of premium cars out of sheer enthusiasm, some of them being Mercedes, Land Cruiser, Prado, Toyota, Audi including Vintage vehicles like 1986 Willy’s. It is said that he is known for owning a maximum number of cars starting with the special number “1111” in Gujarat with a hefty number of 18 and counting. 

He is not only a successful entrepreneur but also proves his mettle in the field of Politics. An active member of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) BJP, and President of Vadinar Dwarka. It’s just amazing how Divya sinh keeps unfolding his interest panels – he is very keen towards launching web series and silver-screen matters.

It was on January 19, 1990, about four lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in the valley following a violent separatist movement that selectively targeted the minority community in Kashmir. And to mark the 30th anniversary of the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, members of the community took to the social media and started a campaign ‘Hum Vapas Aayenge Apne Watan’, which is trending on Twitter as more and more Kashmiri Hindus joined the campaign and pledged to return to their homes.

Many Kashmiri Pandits took to the social media and posted a video of their saying ‘Hum Aayenge Apene Watan, the phrase used the clip is a dialogue from the upcoming film ‘Shikara’.

The members of Kashmiri Pandits community even shared memories of how they fled, their wistful desire to return to the valley. Having been scattered to different parts of the country and the world since then, the community has now expressed hope of returning to the place where their roots lie.

Different political parties came to power but could not create a conducive atmosphere for their return to the valley. Displaced Kashmiri Hindus are still longing to return to the place where they belong. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is not secret. Nothing much has changed for the displaced community. What has changed is their culture, tradition, language among other things. 

It was around 9 pm on January 18, 1990, Sanjay Tickoo sank in his favorite chair in front of the television in a house in downtown Srinagar. He had barely switched on the television when the loudspeakers in the mosque began to blare. The announcement was ‘Ralive, Tsalive, ya Galive.’ (convert, leave the place or perish).

The Islamic jihadis wreaked havoc on the minority Kashmiri Hindus. The terrorists murdered the Kashmiri Pandits. Hindu temples were targeted. Kidnappings and incidents of stone-pelting on the Hindus homes were a common occurrence.

Had the then Governor Jagmohan not called the Army to the valley on January 19, 1990, Kashmiri Pandits would have a tough time, The Kashmiri Hindus were left with no other choice but to migrate to other cities in the country. The horrors of terrorism came home for the Pandits on September 14, 1989, when senior advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tika Ram Taploo was gunned down in broad daylight outside his house in Srinagar. 

The first disturbances began in the valley in the summer of 1986 when a number of Hindu temples in Anantnag district were vandalized. But there is some disagreement over how the crisis was precipitated, A large section of Pandit’s blame the majority Muslim community for fanning the insurgency and the state for failing to safeguard their safety.

Another strand argues that the responsibility for the exodus lies with the then Governor Jagmohan who allegedly vacillated on initial response. The strategy of opening relief camps backfired because it cemented the migration and failed to reassure the Pandits, at any rate, by January 1990, panic was rising within the community as massive street protests, gun march by militants and dissatisfaction with the government threatened to turn sullen anger into violent furry, On January 4, 1990, the widely read Urdu daily Aftab carried a message, ostensibly by terrorists asking the Pandits to leave the valley.

Kashmiri Pandits are still waiting for justice. This year is the dawn of a new era. The era of hope. Even after three decades in exile, the community’s return to their homeland seems to be a distant dream. 

Creating magic with elegant and sophisticated cuts and styles, the young entrepreneur, Leonida Ferrarese from Francavilla Fontana, southern Italy has now become a well-known name in bespoke tailoring.

The 29-year-old businessman holds a Masters in Marketing in the field of haute couture from New York. Leonida Ferrarese made his way in the fashion marketing from Salvatore Ferragamo on 5th Avenue New York and later returned to his hometown to kick-start his dream project-Brand and Tailoring Maison: “Bottega Dalmut”.

Breathing life into the fabric by meticulously crafting suiting and accessories for the classic gentleman, the experts in Bottega Dalmut give clients a one-of-a-kind customized shopping experience where no detail is overlooked.

Giving details to the style, Leonida Ferrarese, only use the finest materials on the market. The accessories like cashmere or silk ties, bow ties, shirts, shoes and many others are all strictly “hand made in Italy” under a lavish atelier.

Leonida Ferrarese’s love for his home town, Italy, can be seen not only in his work and in his larger than life atelier ‘Bottega Dalmut’ but also as how this young entrepreneur after traveling half of the world chose, Italy, to built his dream Tailor Shop. Grew up in a beautiful region of southern Italy, Puglia, Leonida Ferrarese left his home to learn English and reached New York. It was there where he met the love of his life and completed his marketing degree. This city also inspired him to take styling as his passion and Ferrarese started his first job at Salvatore Ferragamo on 5th Avenue. Soon, after learning the art of tailoring and styling, Ferrarese returned to Italy and after many failed attempts and failures, Bottega Dalmut in 2013 finally became a well-known brand name.

Bottega Dalmut is running in a historical building of the ‘800 in the heart of the city of Apulia, Italy. Where one can see the sophisticated Italian design in every-bit of it. From floors and frescoes to Art everything speaks of elegance. The ground floor houses a showroom where clients can not only see Bottega Dalmut’s wide variety of fabrics, clothing, shoes and accessories but also experience a royal treatment while sipping coffee and consulting with their experts comfortably in the atelier’s living room.

What make Bottega Dalmut every client’s dream

Here, Bottega Dalmut, each garment requires a long time for its making just like a painting on the canvas, with expert hands and perfect strokes. Everything in here is done with the utmost attention to detail – stitch after stitch after stitch, using a steam iron, treating the lapels and their roundness, quilting thin layers of canvas. All with precise cutting like a puzzle where all the pieces fit together perfectly, lines, squares and stitches fall together and re-create the design which the client had in his mind. Not only Bottega Dalmut gives its clients their ‘Bespoke Suit’ but also archive all details in the customer’s personal dossier for future orders. This not only save customer’s precious time but also avoid unnecessary fitting appointments.

To give customers with their best ‘customized suit’, Bottega Dalmut dedicates about forty hours only to finishing and complete packaging of a suit. About 30,000 stitches are used to put together a masterpiece conceived by clients and perfected by the hands Bottega Dalmut experts who create art with fabrics and stitches.

Providing its clients a whole new tailoring experience, at Bottega Dalmut, one can not only choose the color of the buttons, linings but also different types of pockets for both the jacket and the trousers. They also pay attention to customer’s desire whether to make a suit with the single-breasted jacket with two or three buttons, a formal double-breasted four or six buttons, a six-button blazer or a three-piece suit with a vest. One can also choose the rever, whether with a spear, classic with a tooth or round shawl.

With the utmost attention to detail and a willingness to create magic with scissors and fabric,  Leonida Ferrarese’s tailoring Maison ‘Bottega Dalmut’ gives its clients once in a life-time experience with their handcrafted customized suits.

When people take politics for power, there is a youth leader from Bihar, who genuinely finds politics a ‘service’. Mani Prabhat sticks to his ideology of “don’t die before your death”.

At a very early age of just 20, Mani holds a key responsibility in a reputed political party. He is of a strong belief that life should be lived for the betterment of others and his every effort justifies his ideologies.

Mani Prabhat is a young and dynamic politico. He loves traveling and blogging. He has traveled most of India at a very early age of his life. Despite being a die-hard follower of Humanity, he gets inspired by people he meets, he loves to live the cultures of various religions.

Prabhat is one person who can ditch almost anything for traveling. He loves to explore places and then beautiful crafts his experiences in his blogs. His aura of being a political leader never affects his hobby of traveling and blogging and this makes him a man of substance. Despite having his own engagements, he never fails to do what he likes the most.

Mani Prabhat’s struggles of life are not less. Born and brought up in a middle-class family, he was never so flourished with the things. But his hard work, his dedication and his will of living life for others convinced him to take politics as his profession.

He is all together with a family man and he loves enjoying with friends as every other teenager does. His Instagram profile is proof of this as he keeps posting pictures of his friends and family members.

When asked when he thought of joining politics, Mani Prabhat said, “Politics for me was never a source of influence and income but it gives me the strength to work for the people. Conditions here in Bihar are not so favorable for living, especially in remote areas, and I want to spend my days and years for the betterment of these things.”

He also inspires people in the field of traveling and blogging. People love to watch his posts and also like his blogs. His fans keep him asking for more and more as they also get an idea about the places Mani travels.

When asked for his love for traveling, Prabhat said, “Travelling is my passion from my childhood. I love to visit new places and explore them. Initially, I was not into writing blogs much but I developed this interest when people started liking it. People wanted me to share my experiences and this gave me the confidence in writing blogs.”

Mani Prabhat’s life certainly is an inspiration as he has achieved a respectable name for himself at this early age.

To reach the top, one must consistently keep working. Afterall the best view from the mountain comes after the hardest climb. Working hard towards his dream, Fazal khan started his journey without anyone’s backing. He is a business development manager, fitness enthusiast and fashion influencer who is living his life like a king-size. Coming from the streets of Mumbai, his childhood was not so pleasant. He did not get things easily and had to work hard to fulfill his desires. With a strong inner conscience, he was determined towards his goal and he started working as a beauty consultant. 

To run fast towards his dreams, he moved to Dubai and started working there. As he worked with several beauty and lifestyle brands, Fazal thought to start something of his own and later expand it. He then started to work as an independent person. Born with immensely good looks, he experimented to style himself and that was probably the best thing ever happened to him. With a tempting personality, he believes in simplicity and is a true gentleman who can slay and pull off any look with much ease. “Style is what you create, not what you get inspired from”, says the dashing influencer.

Besides fashion, the influencer is very fond of luxurious watches and shoes. Not just this, he has got the best collection of accessories including bags and sunglasses which can give any celebrity a run for their money. When asked about his lavish lifestyle, Fazal said, “You only live once. Why not live life to the fullest? The luxurious life I live is not about showcasing my status quo but it is the way of lifestyle I always dreamt to live. It is an unreal experience and I am truly living my dream today.” Hustling and following the passion are the ingredients one must follow to live a swanky lifestyle and Fazal khan  is a classic example of it.

The young people or say the youth is the most important part of society today. And why not? They are the leaders of tomorrow. Every youngster has someone to look up to as the inspiration. Dinesh Desai is a reputed name among the youngsters who is a youth leader in the Gujarat Yuva BJP from the Maldhari Samaj. Born on May 3, 1989, he always had the vision to do something meaningful for his community and that’s when he won the hearts of everyone from the Maldhari community. While his father Shri Harishbhai Jethabhai Desai is a businessman, his mother Shreemati Revaben Harishbhai Desai is a homemaker. 

His service towards his community had a major focus on unity and fraternity amongst the youth. Looking at his work, many other youths joined him as they were highly influenced by his working strategy. Dinesh along with other members of the community-led several movements for the betterment of their community. The Maldhari samaj in India comprises of Gadhavi, Ahir, Rabari, and Bharwad who have set leadership goals with their work. However, Dinesh has always stood by his people and that’s what made him one of the true leaders of Gujarat. It was his hard work and true intentions that helped him achieve support from the people. 

Dinesh aims to bring a tide of change by helping all the needy people of his community. “I believe in the saying that the service to man is service to God. For me, everyone is equal and whoever needs help, I go all my way out in supporting them. It’s all about empowering people and helping them grow”, he stated. His humbleness and positive approach towards work are what make Dinesh Desai one of the best leaders. He is also into several social and spiritual works. His latest work is with the Rabari Samaj’s Dharm Guru Gadi Shri Jayram Swami Ramji Mandir, Tintoda, Gandhinagar and Rabari Samaj’s Dharm Guru Gadi Ramji Mandir, Zak, Ahmedabad. Furthermore, he is also an active speaker of the Vihotar Yuva Group of Gujarat. This young guy is undoubtedly the best icon all the youngsters of Gujarat should follow.

Anurag Jasuja from Fazilka, Punjab, an ordinary boy having an extraordinary story. A dream of becoming an entrepreneur and achieving his goals.

Anurag from a very young age started persuading his career and working towards his goals. He has an extremely successful fan base with 2 million-plus followers on Insta.

His social media likes and views increased over a million in the last 6 months with his creative and attractive content. His posts are read and appreciated by millions of people.

Anurag Jasuja left no stone unturned in achieving his goals and has worked hard, giving his 100% dedication. When asked about the same Anurag says “The journey was not easy. I had no power backup. Never the less I always had a vision on my goals and always wanted to work hard for it. When your heart has a determination to achieve something, the mind finds out its way to achieve it.”

It would also surprise his fans that Jasuja is a traveler. He loves traveling and has been to a number of places. He has achieved a commendable name in the entrepreneurial world and soon will be rewarded as the youngest and the most successful entrepreneur of the country. His Instagram @Anuragjasuja

Uninvited it comes in and goes away with precious lives and properties or leaves one with virtually nothing! That’s how devastating high-magnitude earthquakes can get. The scary pictures of Uttarkashi (1991), Bhuj (2001), Japan (2011), etc. might still be fresh in the memories of many who got to witness them on TV sets in their homes. Unfathomable damage they can cause.

Although such earthquakes cannot be prevented, is there a way out to mitigate the damaging effects of such earthquakes? Probably yes, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) thinks so. Through seismic hazard microzonation of vulnerable areas and putting in place adequate mitigation measures, the Ministry believes that the impact of high-intensity earthquakes can be reduced to a great deal. The ambitious project of MoES is aimed at seismic hazard microzonation of major Indian cities and areas falling under high seismic zones IV and V. 

Earthquake-vulnerable areas falling in seismic zones IV and V include the entire North-Eastern states, Delhi, Kutch areas in Gujarat, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.    

As per the plan of the Ministry, seismic hazard microzonation of important cities having population of half a million is to be carried out in a phased manner. It includes capital cities of a few states and some other cities in vulnerable areas. Authorities believe that it would effectively help them have an idea about the sites, which are more prone to seismic hazards within a particular city and accordingly mitigation measures may be adopted for the safety of the common masses.

So far, micro-seismic mapping of Sikkim and eight cities (Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Ahmedabad, Dehra Dun, and Gandhidham) has been completed. Currently, work in four other cities – Coimbatore, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, and Mangalore – is in progress. Micro-seismic mapping of Agra, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna, Dhanbad and Meerut will be taken up soon after. 

In the absence of a reliable prediction model for earthquakes, unlike in the case of Tsunamis, scientists believe that having well-thought and well-planned mitigation measures in place becomes more important. 

“Predicting earthquakes accurately is not possible; though efforts are going on to develop a valid prediction model. But seismologists can provide seismic hazard microzonation maps which can effectively give an idea about the areas which are more prone to seismic hazards and accordingly mitigation measures may be adopted”, said Dr J.R. Kayal delivering NEIST (North East Institute of Science & Technology) Science Forum (NSF) Science Talk at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat.

Japan is a leading example of how effective and well-implemented mitigation measures could make its citizens live in peace despite Japan falling in the high seismic zone and vulnerable to frequent earthquakes. Experts say that the civil engineering practice in Japan is fully compliant to seismic by-laws, where retrofitting of old and seismically vulnerable structures have been aggressively pursued and new structures are designed with seismic resilience. 

India seems to be wanting in this direction. For having a successful mitigating measure in place, it is necessary to religiously adhere to building by-laws and retrofitting of structures should be aggressively taken up, particularly high rise buildings, bridges, hospitals, schools, and other major infrastructure.

“We have been working on identifying high hazardous areas for quite some time and we are in the process of undertaking seismic hazard microzonation, i.e. mapping on a larger scale for selected cities. The work has already been completed in eight cities and is in progress in some other cities. We are committed to developing mitigating measures for earthquake vulnerable areas and we are continuously working with other Government agencies to achieve the target”, said Dr B.K.Bansal, Director, National Centre for Seismology. (India Science Wire)