International students classes become fully online

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International students classes become fully online

In a huge blow to foreign students in the United States, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Monday that international students whose classes become fully online either have to depart the country or to transfer to a school with in-person classes. The ICE  told international students on student visas that they must depart the United States if their school is going online this fall semester and they cannot remain through the fall semester.

“Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,” said the ICE in its temporary exemptions for the Fall 2020 semester. “The US Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the US,” the ICE added. The ICE said this applies to nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students.

With rapid spike in Covid-19 cases across the US, several universities and colleges are asking their student populations to stay home in the fall semester. While some colleges and universities are allowing 40 to 60 percent of their students to return to campus and live in the college residence halls at one time.

Prestigious Universities like Harvard, Stanford are no different. Harvard on Monday announced that it will allow first-year students and some students in special circumstances to be present in the fall, the freshmen will leave in the spring as it will then allow the seniors. Stanford University said it will allow freshmen and sophomores to stay on campus in the fall while juniors and seniors study remotely from home.

Now the statement from the ICE and schools have pushed several international students studying in the US into a great difficulty as large numbers of foreign students are likely to be returned to their home countries. The move is seen as a big set back to the Indian students studying in the US.

AP Governament is against Online Classes

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AP Governament is against Online Classes

Education minister Adimulapu Suresh warned private educational institutions of serious consequences if they conducted online classes to the students across the state. He said that the academic year is likely to begin on August 3, 2020, as announced by the state government earlier. He asked the private school managements not to go for online classes till the government issued the 2020-21 academic year schedule.

This warning has been issued following the appeals of a few parents that they cannot afford to buy smart phones, lap tops, tablets, to facilitate students attend online classes. In the wake of the pandemic, lakhs of people are struggling to make ends meet and how can they buy smart phones, Suresh pointed out.

The minister said that students not having electronic gadgets will lag behind while those having them will listen to the online classes. In view of the disparity in gaining knowledge, the AP government has issued blanket ban on online classes, he said.

The minister also said that many private schools did not pay salaries to their employees in view of Coronavirus-induced lockdown.The Andhra Pradesh School Regulatory and Monitoring Commission will look into the issue of whether to continue the online classes.Meanwhile, the AP government has also received guidelines from the Centre to conduct UG and PG exams.

Indian Railways places 55 COVID care isolation coaches at Patna

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Indian Railways places 55 COVID care isolation coaches at Patna

As many as 12,712 isolation beds have been provided in 828 COVID Care Coaches deployed at junctions in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, out of which 12,581 are currently vacant, the Indian Railways stated on Wednesday.

Over 55 coaches and 880 beds have now been kept at Patna. Besides this, 270 coaches and 3,784 beds are placed in Uttar Pradesh and 503 coaches and 8,048 beds in the national capital.

As per the data, no casualties have occurred so far and out of 256 patients admitted till date, 125 have been either discharged or shifted.

The Indian Railways has converted many rail coaches into isolation centres to extend a helping hand in combating the Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed over 20,000 lives in the country so far.

It has converted over 5,000 railway coaches into isolation wards to serve as the Covid care centres to augment the capacity of health infrastructure.

On May 7, the Union Health Ministry had said that train coaches will be turned into coronavirus care centres and parked at stations across the country as part of the preparation for a sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases.

Childhood obesity linked to poor heart health signs: Study

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Childhood obesity linked to poor heart health signs: Study

Dear parents, read this carefully. Toddlers who were obese or overweight show concerning signs of cardiovascular disease at 11-12 years of age, say researchers.

For the findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, the research team examined 1,811 children whose weight and height were measured every two years (age 0-1 to 9-10 years) to determine cardiovascular disease risk scores.

At age 11-12, the participants underwent further health checks looking at blood pressure, blood vessel health, cholesterol and glucose levels.

The research highlighted the silent effects of obesity in childhood and the need to intervene early.

“Our findings are in line with the World Health Organisation’s calls for urgent collaborative action to address the matter through systems-based approaches and policy implementation,” said study researcher Melissa Wake from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Australia.

“Such policies include increasing taxes on processed foods high in fat and sugar, safer and improved public transport and walking to school pathways and making community-based sporting activities more affordable and accessible,” Wake added.

The researchers found that Australian children who were obese or overweight very early in life already show evidence by age 11-12 years of stiffer arteries, thickened arterial lining and are a high risk of later developing metabolic syndrome.

This worsened the longer these young children were overweight or obese.

According to the team, until now little was known about when and how early life body mass index (BMI) impacted heart health in childhood and most studies have previously just looked at standard risk factors such as blood pressure alone.

“Previous studies have tended to rely on a single BMI measurement in childhood and then examined subsequent heart health outcomes in adulthood,” said study researcher Kate Lycett.

“This overlooks the considerable BMI changes as part of normal childhood growth,” she added.

“This public health crisis threatens the modest decline in cardiovascular deaths in developed countries, which has largely been achieved through preventive efforts focused on cardiovascular risk factors,” the study authors wrote.

Investments for building long-term presence in India remain intact: Coca-Cola

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Investments for building long-term presence in India remain intact: Coca-Cola

Beverage major Coca-Cola’s long-term investment plans in India remain intact despite coronavirus-induced economic turbulence, a key company executive said.

Accordingly, the beverage major is expected to complete the earlier announced $5 billion investment this year for creation of retail infrastructure, bottling plants and introduction of new products, amongst others.

Since its re-entry into India in 1993 till 2011, Coca-Cola had invested $2 billion in the country.

Additionally, the company has committed an investment of $1.7 billion towards creating a ‘Fruit Circular Economy’ to aid the Indian agri-ecosystem till 2023.

“We continue to invest in big bets and strategic priorities that will help us emerge stronger. Our investments of building a long-term presence in India remains intact,” T. Krishnakumar, President, Coca-Cola India & South W est Asia, told IANS.

“As the situation evolves, we will flex our business models to adapt to the new normal to deliver long-term shared value in India.”

On the Covid-19 induced economic turbulence, Krishnakumar said the pandemic’s ongoing evolution has led to uncertainty around its ultimate impact.

“Hence, any immediate outlook may not be complete or conclusive… Covid-19 has obviously impacted all businesses significantly. We are, however, witnessing improvement in both consumer sentiment and consumption,” he said.

“While away-from-home consumption in channels like travel, restaurants, entertainment and hospitality may take longer to come back to normal, ‘At Home’ consumption is robust and growing.”

In terms of demand, Krishnakumar expects a faster bounce-back in rural consumption on the back of reverse migration, better monsoon, improved agricultural income, and government support.

According to him, a change in consumer behaviour and consumption patterns have been witnessed.

“While consumers are conscious of what they are buying and dependent on what is available, there is a strong trend to purchase trusted brands,” he said.

“Coca-Cola’s heritage and its relationship with the consumer over the years has helped us continue to be a part of the consumer’s basket even during this pandemic.”

Furthermore, he noted a change in channel choice of consumers.

“Grocers, who have been the lifeline during the lockdown, are likely to continue to be a stronger channel, along with the newly-emerging chemists who are unaffected by the lockdown,” Krishnakumar said.

“Innovative ways to reach the consumer along with affordability will be important to drive the demand.”

Besides strategy to deal with the pandemic, the company has also committed an initial support of over Rs 100 crore for helping the healthcare system and communities to combat COVID-19 and contain its spread.

At present, it has activated more than 50 locations across 10 states in partnership with its bottlers to support the hydration needs of the underserved communities through distribution of beverages during the lockdown period.

Telangana High Court has shut down

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Telangana High Court has shut down

The Telangana High Court has shut down on Wednesday as 10 regular and security staff have been tested positive of Covid-19. About 50 people have undergone the tests and out of them ten people’s results arrived as positive.

Also the officials are taking steps to sanitize the entire High Court and its premises while important cases are being heard through video conference. The files of High Court are being shifted to Judicial Academy and then the sanitization drive would take place.

But the officials haven’t informed when the High Court would reopen again. Hyderabad has been in Red Zone of Covid-19 as every day over a thousand cases are reporting from the city. Telangana has over 27,000 cases.

Indian mobile users seek superior fast-charging tech, long battery life: Survey (Ld)

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Indian mobile users seek superior fast-charging tech, long battery life: Survey (Ld)

With smartphones becoming the primary device for work, streaming and gaming, seven in every eight smartphone users in India feel innovation in the fast-charging technology is the key and long battery life is what matters the most, a new survey revealed on Wednesday.

When it came to satisfaction with battery life, OPPO users scored the brand the highest (94 per cent), followed by Samsung (92 per cent) and realme (91 per cent).

In terms of swift charging, consumer satisfaction was highest with OPPO (95 per cent), followed by OnePlus (93 per cent) and Samsung (91 per cent).

When asked about the importance of smartphone features, 61 per cent respondents cited battery life as a key consideration, just behind the camera, according to the ‘Insights On the Go’ survey by CyberMedia Research (CMR).

“Whether it be an endless stream of work-related calls or catching up with family and friends, the smartphone battery life plays an essential role. For consumers, a long battery life, as well as quickly amping up the battery juice – both are critical,” said Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

Consumers are so much concerned about battery life that they turn down screen brightness (70 per cent), turn-on battery saver mode (66 per cent), close battery-consuming apps (63 per cent) and, in extremely critical circumstances, even turn off Wi-Fi (56 per cent) and location services (50 per cent).

The findings showed that seven in every eight users charge their smartphone at least once in a day and average duration of charging in a day is 66 minutes.

The six-city survey involved 2,000 smartphone users in 18-30 age group.

“While smartphone brands push newer technological innovations, consumer priorities are equally centered around the basics, such as smartphone battery. So much so that the battery is a key factor in smartphone purchase priorities,” said Satya Mohanty, Head- Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CMR.

Prabhas’s next to be announced on July 10

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Prabhas’s next to be announced on July 10

The title and the first look of actor Prabhas and Pooja Hegde’s upcoming film will be unveiled on July 10, it was announced on Wednesday.

So far, considerable buzz has been garnered about the film, which has the working title Prabhas 20. It is to be released in four languages — Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam.

Co-starring Pooja Hegde, the film is directed by Radha Krishna Kumar. Bhagyashree, Murli Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Priyadarshi, Sasha Chettri, and Sathyan also feature in the cast of the film, which wrapped up an important schedule in Georgia earlier this year.

“Finally the announcement!!” wrote Radha Krishna Kumar, along with a image of a vintage clock that had the words ‘First Look’ written on it.

Prabhas launched the announcement with the same image on Instagram with a caption that said: “#Prabhas20”. His co-star Pooja shared the image, too.

“The announcement you all have been waiting for! Title & first look of our film #Prabhas20 will be out on 10.7.2020 at 10 AM Man,” wrote producers UV Creations.

Chinese PLA moves back at Patrolling Points 14, 15

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Chinese PLA moves back at Patrolling Points 14, 15

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops have pulled back around 2 kilometres at Patrolling Point 14 and Patrolling 15 in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh while the process of pull back has started at the Hot Springs, sources said on Wednesday.

The disengagement started after a two-month military standoff and it is happening “as per agreed terms in the Corps Commanders’ meeting”. However, it has not been verified on the ground yet.

Sources said Chinese soldiers have removed tents and structures at Patrolling Point 14 and Patrolling Point 15 in the Galwan Valley.

On June 15, Indian and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers were engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat at Patrolling Point 14. A total 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in the worst clash in four decades.

As per the agreement between the Corps Commanders, a buffer zone of at least 1.5 km on both sides of the Line of Actual Control has to be created in these areas.

Sources said that in Galwan Valley, the water level of the Galwan river has risen suddenly due to melting of snow, which could have forced the Chinese to move from the area faster. The Indian Army is reported to be using drones to verify Chinese movement as physical verification has been hindered by the rising water levels of the Galwan river.

At Pangong lake, the most contentious issue between the two sides, Chinese troops have moved up to Finger 4 where they have brought over 120 vehicles and dozen boats. The Chinese army has also opened up a new front in the area near the Depsang Bulge, a table-top plateau north of Galwan. They have built camps and deployed vehicles and troops.

The Pangong lake is divided into 8 Fingers. The mountainous spurs jutting out into the lake are referred to as Fingers. India has been claiming Fingers 1 to 8.

There is also an Indian post near Finger 4. India claims the entire stretch till Finger 8. The area between Finger 5 and 8 has been a matter of dispute as China claims it. It has often witnessed confrontations.

China has made an attempt to change the status quo by putting up shelters and setting up camps in areas that were under Indian control so far.

The military commanders from both sides are in constant touch with each other. However, India remains cautious and the army and air force are on high alert.

Sales plunge to dent auto dealers’ credit metrics this fiscal

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Sales plunge to dent auto dealers’ credit metrics this fiscal

Two consecutive years of double-digit decline in sales volume and a 50-100 basis points (bps) moderation in already thin operating profitability are expected to materially dent the credit metrics of automotive dealers this fiscal, a study of 2051 CRISIL-rated dealers indicates.

After declining 18 per cent in fiscal 2020, vehicle sales volume is expected to fall another 25 per cent this fiscal because of the Covid-19 pandemic and weak business environment that’s curtailing mobility and discretionary spending.

Moreover, the ability of automotive dealers to withstand such demand contraction has reduced because of lower sales volume per dealer, given the aggressive dealership expansions adopted by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the past six fiscals. For instance, while OEM sales volume was 17 per cent higher last fiscal compared with fiscal 2015, average sales volume per dealership was 30 per cent lower.

“In fiscal 2021, a sharp decline in vehicle sales volume and ancillary income (through service, spare parts and insurance, amounting to 10-12 per cent of revenue) will lead to a 50-100 bps moderation in operating profitability because of suboptimal coverage of fixed costs. This drop is substantial, considering the thin operating margin of 3-4 per cent of dealers and 50 bps moderation already seen last fiscal. Dealers with own showrooms and those with higher mix of the more profitable ancillary services will be better placed to withstand the shock though,” said Gautam Shahi, Director, CRISIL Ratings.

Among business segments, commercial vehicle (CV) dealers, are expected to be the most impacted due to the sharpest drop expected in sale volumes and lower profitability of 2-3 per cent, compared with passenger vehicle (PV) and two-wheeler (2W) dealers.

Tepid sales, carry-over stocks of BS IV vehicles, and squeeze in profitability will lead to net losses in the first half of the fiscal, increasing their reliance on working capital lines, and impacting liquidity position for most dealers, the rating agency said in its report.

The moratorium offered by the Reserve Bank of India and support from OEMs in the form of early payment of incentives or part interest cost funding are expected to provide some respite on liquidity, but only temporarily.

According to Sushant Sarode, Associate Director, CRISIL Ratings, “With stress rising due to weak vehicle sales, credit metrics of automotive dealers are already deteriorating. With cash accrual expected to halve, credit metrics such as interest coverage ratio will moderate to 1.1-1.2 times this fiscal from 1.5 times in fiscal 2020 and two times in fiscal 2019.”

Since automotive dealers are a critical link in the overall supply chain, support from OEMs and their financing arms has been forthcoming, and this is critical for them to navigate the current stress. Moreover, increasing preference for personal vehicles to maintain social distancing may gradually revive sales from the second half of this fiscal, and will remain monitorable.

Online open book examination postponed: DU to Delhi HC

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Online open book examination postponed: DU to Delhi HC

The Delhi University on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it has postponed the online Open Book Examination (OBE) which was slated to commence from July 10.

Advocate Sachin Dutta informed the court that after the revised guidelines of the UGC and MHRD have come in, the varsity has planned to postpone the said online examinations.

“We were willing to hold it, but the UGC guidelines came at the last moment,” Dutta submitted before a single judge bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh.

Responding to the submissions, the bench said, “There was no binding on you to postpone these exams in these new guidelines.”

The petitioner submitted that many students are mailing them and telling them that they have admission procedures of foreign universities and the same would get cancelled if they don’t submit their results by the end of July.

The court then said, “Do you (DU) see how you are playing with the future of the children?”

The matter has now been adjourned for the second half of the day as some new petitions have come in and the said documents could not reach the court.

Virat Kohli feasts on neer dosa made by Shreyas Iyer’s mother

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Virat Kohli feasts on neer dosa made by Shreyas Iyer’s mother

India captain Virat Kohli was recently treated to some fine neer dosa cooked by teammate Shreyas Iyer’s mother.

According to Kohli’s Instagram post which he made on Wednesday, Iyer lives close by to his Mumbai home and the latter paid him a visit recently and brought along with him the popular Mangalorean delicacy.

Kohli also shared a picture of the duo standing together, following social-distancing protocols and also wearing masks in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

The post read: “A kind neighbour who lives 500m away from us brought us some fine home made neer dosas and made us smile. A big thank you to your mom amigo we haven’t had such delicious dosas for a longgg time. Hope you enjoyed the mushroom Biryani we sent back. Good man Shreyas Iyer. P.S. these are the new picture norms with social distancing.

India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is known for his antics on social media, took note of this post from Kohli and replied: “Bhaiya please send some biryani here only 1400 km away.”

Kohli has been very active on social media during these unprecedented times put forward by the COVID-19 crisis. He has been mostly sharing short clips of himself training to maintain his surreal fitness levels.

The India captain, last week, had shared an incredible video of himself, with a Punjabi song blaring in the background, doing multiple power snatch reps.

His Instagram post read: “If I had to make a choice of one exercise to do everyday, this would be it. Love the power snatch.”

Earlier, Kohli had shared another clip of himself going through his physical training. Impressed by teammate Hardik Pandya’s fly push-ups, Kohli posted a video on social media doing the same exercise.

AIFF academy accreditation 2020-21 deadlines extended

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AIFF academy accreditation 2020-21 deadlines extended

The All India Football Federation has decided that the deadline for clubs and academies to submit their application form along with the prescribed fee for AIFF academy accreditation for the 2020-21 season is July 15.

AIFF said that the decision was taken after closely monitoring the situation in the country in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic and in line with public health precautions and associated lockdowns adopted by the central and state governments in the country.

In the interest of applicants who have submitted the application form and prescribed fee within the above-mentioned timeline, the deadline for fulfilment of all formalities and completion of submissions for the AIFF academy accreditation 2020-21 has been extended to August 15, AIFF further announced.

“We are cognizant that the COVID-19 situation is still developing and will continue to follow government advice to keep the situation under review. We will explore different options for completing the accreditation process when the conditions allow,” AIFF said.

Vikas Dubey flees Faridabad hotel, 3 aides nabbed (Ld)

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Vikas Dubey flees Faridabad hotel, 3 aides nabbed (Ld)

Uttar Pradesh’s most wanted gangster Vikas Dubey, the main accused in the killing of eight policemen last week in Kanpur district, was reportedly seen in a hotel in Haryana’s Faridabad adjoining the national capital on Tuesday, sources said.

However, he managed to give the slip to the police, who only managed to arrest three of his associates.

On Tuesday afternoon, police conducted a raid at the Faridabad hotel. Dubey had left the hotel by then. Later, three men were arrested from different locations in the city. They have been identified as Shrawan, Ankur and Prabhat.

A CCTV footage recovered by the police shows the wanted gangster in a mask wearing a blue T-shirt. The police have seized the register and DVR from the hotel. According to sources, the hotel turned back the man after his identity card was not having a clear photograph.

The Uttar Pradesh STF was also conducting raids at various locations in the search of the absconding criminal, including in Greater Noida.

Faridabad, Gurgaon and Delhi are also on a high alert and the Delhi Police’s Special Cell has also been alerted amid speculation that Dubey may surrender in the National Capital Region. All hotels in the NCR have also been alerted.

Earlier, the police gunned down Vikas Dubey’s close aide Amar Dubey in Maudaha, Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh. He was involved in the July 3 ambush and killing, as per the police information.

Sourav Ganguly: Captain who is still steering the ship of Indian cricket

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Sourav Ganguly: Captain who is still steering the ship of Indian cricket

Many refer to him as the “Bengal Tiger”. For some, he is the “Prince of Kolkata”. But what he is most famous as is “Dada”. Dada generally means elder brother in Bengali and in colloquial terms, it also refers to as don. And Sourav Ganguly is rightly called the “Dada” of Indian cricket.

Counted among one of the most successful Indian captains, Ganguly still remains one of the most talked-about former cricketers in world cricket.

However, it was not a fairytale story for Ganguly where everything clicked right from the word go. After making his international debut in 1992 during an ODI in Brisbane against the West Indies, the stylish left-handed batsman had to wait for almost four years to play another game for India.

He, alongwith Rahul Dravid, made Test debut at the iconic Lord’s in 1996 and Ganguly scored a century at the Home of Cricket. Rest, they say, is history. With that brilliant knock of 131, Ganguly announced his arrival in international cricket like a lion hungry for prey. During his playing days, he was considered to be the god of off-side, playing those stylish cover drives and cut shots which mesmerised many in the cricketing circuit.

During his batting, whenever he used to step out to a spinner, it was almost certain that the bowler could do nothing but concede a monstrous six — “a biggie” in terms of former commentator Tony Greig.

However, the thing which separated Ganguly from other Indian cricketers was the aggresiveness, the bold nature and the never giving-up attitude with which he played. He was hit on numerous occasions by ferocious bouncers from Shoaib Akhtar but the left-handed batsman never gave up. In fact, the Rawalpindi Express recently admitted that Ganguly was probably the bravest batsmen he ever bowled to.

But, more than the batsman, Ganguly is known to people as more the captain. Ganguly became the skipper of the Indian team when the side was facing some really tough times following the match-fixing scandal. He was only in his mid 20s when he had to step in to become the leader of the side which already had greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble.

However, he brought in a new energy within the team which encouraged every player to go for the kill and never give up.

Unlike other previous Indian captains who believed aggression is to be shown through performance and not words, here was Ganguly who was ready to take on teams and make them have a taste of their own medicine. His aggresion and antics were all on display and he never shied away from showing his emotions.

During Australia’s historic tour to India in 2001, he even made Steve Waugh wait for the toss — something which annoyed the then Australian skipper.

He was someone who always led from the front and instilled belief in the team that they are not just winners at home but could win on foreign soil as well. He captained India to 11 Tests wins in 28 overseas Tests, which included victories in Australia and Pakistan as well.

It was under his captaincy only that players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan etc turned from into genuine match-winners. He provided them with the opportunity to play their natural game without any fear of losing their spot.

Many in the contemporary times believe that it was Ganguly only who made the team a force to reckon with.

“My biggest legacy is that we left a unit that believed it could win away,” said Ganguly recently. And it was carried brilliantly by MS Dhoni who led India to victory in the 2007 World T20, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Just like he waved his shirt from the Lord’s balcony after the NatWest Trophy to stamp India’s authority, Ganguly still continues to boss the Indian cricket — now in the capacity of BCCI President. And all cricket fans hope that he takes Indian cricket to new heights of glory in the coming days as well.

Happy Birthday Dada.

Men and younger adults less active in lockdown: Study

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Men and younger adults less active in lockdown: Study

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers have found that men and younger adults have been less physically active during the Covid-19 lockdown.

For the findings, published in the journal BMJ Open Sport, the research team included data from 911 UK adults who took part in an online survey which began on 17 March.

“The overall levels of physical activity are higher than we were expecting,” said study lead author Dr Lee Smith from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the UK.

The research found that 75 per cent of UK adults met the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, since the introduction of social distancing regulations.

This is higher than previous studies carried out before the Covid-19 pandemic, which found that between 58 per cent and 66 per cent of the UK adult population typically meet physical activity guidelines.

The new study found that women, older adults, and those with a higher annual household income were significantly more likely to meet the WHO’s physical activity guidelines.

According to the researchers, this is the opposite of studies carried out prior to the pandemic, where men and younger adults were found to have higher levels of physical activity.

“During the early stages of the outbreak, one of the few reasons to leave home was to take part in an hour of exercise. As well as offering a reason to go outside, this may have served as a target for some people,” Smith said.

“Typically, the proportion of UK adults meeting physical activity guidelines declines with age. Therefore, there should be additional support offered to older adults to encourage them to sustain this level of physical activity post-pandemic,” Smith noted.

Covid patient jumps to death from Raj hospital

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Covid patient jumps to death from Raj hospital

A Covid-19 patient on Wednesday jumped to his death from the second floor of the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) building here.

Officials confirmed that the incident was reported around 10.30 a.m.

The 78-year-old patient was a resident of Jaipur, and was admitted in the Covid-dedicated RUHS’ ICU on Tuesday. On Wednesday, after breaking the net of the semi-ICU, he jumped to his death.

Health officials said that he has had blood pressure and breathing issues.

District Collector Antar Singh Nehra with other officials and police team rushed to the spot to investigate.

ACP Poonam Chand Vishnoi said that the patient jumped from the semi ICU’s second floor. “We have spoken to his family members and they are coming here.”

Meanwhile, his grandson, Tapish, confirmed to IANS that his grandfather is no more and the family was on its way for his last rites.

SBI reduces MCLR by 5-10 bps in shorter tenors

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SBI reduces MCLR by 5-10 bps in shorter tenors

State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday announced reduction in its marginal cost of funds-based lending rates (MCLR) on loans by 5-10 basis points (bps) in the shorter tenors — up to three months — with effect from July 10.

In a statement, the bank said that the rates have been cut to boost credit off take and revive demand.

This is the 14th consecutive reduction in SBI’s MCLR.

Following the latest revision, SBI’s MCLR up to three months tenor comes down to 6.65 per cent per annum which is on par with the EBLR of SBI. SBI’s MCLR continues to be the lowest in the market.

Banks generally review MCLR every month.

Yogi claims UP law and order is ‘better’

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Yogi claims UP law and order is ‘better’

To counter the mounting pressure by the opposition on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has now released crime figures based on the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data to prove that the crime situation in the state is ‘satisfactory’.

According to the government spokesman, the NCRB data for the year 2018 shows that despite having 17 per cent population of the country, the crime rate in the state was just 10 per cent.

The government also compared the figures of murders, crime against women and children, and crime against Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes of Uttar Pradesh with the rest of India.

The rate of murders in Uttar Pradesh is 1.8 per lakh population, far below the national average of 2.2 per lakh population in 2018.

The state also has a lower murder rate than Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Similarly, crime against women in Uttar Pradesh is 55.7 per lakh population, less than the national average of 58.8 in 2018 and fares better than Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Assam.

In crime against children, Uttar Pradesh’s rate of 22.5 per lakh population is less than national average of 31.8 and also lower than Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The crime rate as per the NCRB shows police has improved law and order in Uttar Pradesh in comparison to other states having a higher population density.

The spokesman said the government has been supportive and initiated a host of reforms to help curb crime.

The Special task Force (STF) was given an additional amount of Rs six crore to purchase equipment and vehicles and financial assistance was also given for modernisation of the force.

Unacademy acquires PrepLadder to boost presence in medical entrance

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Unacademy acquires PrepLadder to boost presence in medical entrance

Bengaluru-based edtech firm Unacademy has acquired Chandigarh-based PrepLadder, a leading post-graduate medical entrance exam preparation platform, for $50 million (approx Rs 375 crore).

According to Unacademy, the acquisition will strengthen its presence in medical entrance examination categories. Unacademy recently acquired Kreatryx and taken over the custodianship of CodeChef.

Founded by Deepanshu Goyal, Vitul Goyal and Sahil Goyal in 2016, PrepLadder prepares students for medical examinations and provides access to education services and preparation material for exams such as NEET PG, AIIMS PG, NEET SS, and FMGE.

Currently, PrepLadder has expert educators teaching over 85,000 active subscribers.

“The exponential growth in Unacademy’s subscriber base is a testament to the increasing demand for quality online education and our consistent efforts. I look forward to working with the PrepLadder team as they become a part of the Unacademy Group,” Gaurav Munjal, Co-Founder, and CEO, Unacademy, said in a statement.

In the last three months, Unacademy has recorded a 100 per cent increase in its paid subscriber base.

The monthly watch time minutes has also reached an all-time high of over 1 billion. Additionally, over 525,000 learners attempted various mock tests on the platform for competitive examinations such as UPSC, NEET-PG, and CAT, among others, during this period.

“Unacademy and PrepLadder are working towards the common goal of making quality education accessible to all. We believe that the synergies between both products will truly create a mark in the industry,” said Deepanshu Goyal, Co-Founder, PrepLadder.

Founded in 2015, Unacademy currently has over 10,000 educators, more than 30 million learners and caters to over 35 exam categories.

The acquisition comes on the heels of news reports that Think and Learn, the parent company of Bengaluru-based edtech unicorn BYJU’S, is in talks to acquire Mumbai-based startup WhiteHat Jr for Rs 300 million.

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