WHO Estimate Of India Deaths "Preposterous, Untenable": Covid Panel Chief
NDTV
The World Health Organisation (WHO) report of 4.7 million "excess" Covid deaths in India does not stand any "logic or fact", the chief of the country's Covid Working Group said today, calling the report "worrisome".
Speaking to NDTV this morning, Dr NK Arora, chief of India's Covid Working Group, said that while there can be a 15-20% discrepancy, India's robust and accurate death registration system (known as Civil Registration System, or CRS) ensures that a majority of virus-related deaths are covered.
"In 2018, 5 lakh extra deaths were reported by CRS over 2017. In 2019, 7 lakhs deaths were in excess of 2018. In 2020, 5 lakh deaths over 2019. What does this mean? This means that over the years the coverage of Covid deaths is improving. Now we are 98-99% of all the expected deaths are covered by CRS. The CRS has a very robust system. Over the years its system has improved," Mr Arora said.
In a report released Thursday, WHO said between January 2020 and December 2021, there were 4.7 million "excess" Covid deaths in India -- the maximum number that's 10 times the official figures and almost a third of Covid deaths globally. The global figure, according to the report, was 15 million -- more than double the official figure of 6 million.
The BJP, Vishnu Deo Sai said, has shown huge respect to Ambedkar, no matter who headed the government -- Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Narendra Modi.
Shyam Benegal, who burst on the scene with his first film "Ankur" in 1974, was a chronicler of India's times and politics.
A second-cousin brother of the late legend, actor-film-maker Guru Dutt, Shyam Benegal was 90 and breathed his last at a private hospital in Mumbai. He is survived by his wife Nira and their daughter Pia.
The union government has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools governed by it allowing them to fail students who do not clear the year-end exams, according to officials.
"Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd (ADSTL) has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 85.8 per cent shareholding in Air Works India (Engineering) Private Ltd," a company statement said.
Several domestic carriers, between October and November, received hundreds of "hoax" messages or calls on their official communication channels including on social media.
Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's BJD has made it clear that they are not against Electronic Voting Machines, questioning instead the integrity of the election process.
Lavi Pal alias Rahul Saini was arrested after an encounter in which he was injured on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
Seven Indians were injured in the deadly car-ramming attack in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.
The man, identified as Zakir, gesticulated to a biker to help him, even as the truck kept accelerating, showed the 36-second clip.
All the accused were arrested in November and December after reviewing data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), said Priyanshu Dewan, ACP (cyber).