The Evening Wrap: Nipah resurfaces in Kerala's Malappuram, 15-year-old boy in critical condition

The Haryana government on July 21 ordered suspension of mobile Internet and the bulk SMS services in Nuh district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra that was marred by violence last year. The Internet service in the district will remain suspended from 6 p.m. on July 21 (Sunday) to 6 p.m. on July 22 (Monday), according to an order by Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi. The suspension came “to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours” through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Meanwhile, the Nuh Police said tight security arrangements have been made to ensure that the Yatra passes off smoothly. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court scraps most job quotas that triggered deadly protests Bangladesh’s top court on July 21 pared back contentious civil service hiring rules but failed to mollify university student leaders, whose demonstrations against the scheme sparked nationwide clashes that have killed 151 people. What began as a protest against politicised admission quotas for sought-after government jobs snowballed this week into some of the worst unrest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. Soldiers are patrolling cities across Bangladesh after riot police failed to restore order, while a nationwide Internet blackout since July 18 has drastically restricted the flow of information to the outside world. The Supreme Court was due to decide next month on the legality of the recently reintroduced scheme that reserves more than half of government jobs for select applicants but brought forward its verdict as the civil strife intensified. It decided that a lower bench’s order last month to reintroduce the scheme was “illegal”, Bangladeshi Attorney General A.M. Amin Uddin told AFP. Shah Monjurul Hoque, a lawyer involved in the case, told AFP that the court had also asked protesting students “to return to class” after issuing its verdict. The ruling curtailed the number of reserved jobs, from 56% of all positions to 7%, but fell short of meeting protester demands. It reserved 5% of all government jobs for the children of “freedom fighters” from Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, down from 30%. 1% were reserved for tribal communities, and another 1% for people with disabilities or identifying as third gender under Bangladeshi law. The remaining 93% of positions would be decided on merit, the court ruled. Nipah death again in Kerala, 14-year-old boy under treatment dies in Kozhikode The Nipah virus claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Malappuram district on July 21. The resurgence of the disease, which often spreads from fruit bats to other animals and human beings, has prompted the government to impose containment measures in at least two panchayats in the district. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the teenager died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, while under intense medical care. She attributed the cause of death to a massive cardiac arrest. The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed that the teenager had succumbed to a Nipah virus infection. A previous Nipah outbreak in Malappuram and Kozhikode had claimed 17 lives in 2018. At least three of the boy’s relatives are under surveillance at the hospital, and four others who interacted with him are under observation at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital in Malappuram, George said. She said that those in the high-risk contacted category did not show any symptoms of a Nipah infection. At least seven samples have tested negative. The State Health Minister counselled the public against panic and said that the situation was under control. Doctors had injected the boy with a monoclonal antibody procured from Australia by the Indian Council of Medical Research, but George noted that the injection is meant to be administered within five days of the patient showing signs of infection. “In the teenager’s case, the deadline for the infusion of antibodies had passed. Still, the medical board authorised the administration as a desperate life-saving measure,” she added. The government has stepped up containment measures in Malappuram, with District Collector V.R. Vinod declaring masks and social distancing mandatory till further notice. He has closed educational institutions in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats and cinema theatres will also remain shut. Vinod asked people to avoid social gatherings. Shops within the containment zones must open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. District Medical Officer R. Renuka warned people against self-treatment. She advised them to seek medical attention immediately if they develop fever symptoms and also counselled the public not to consume partly-eaten fruit leftovers, including those dropped by bats, birds, or animals. The Union government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team in Malappuram to support the State. The team will help identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance. Monsoon session 2024: JD(U), RJD, YSRCP, BJD demand special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha at all-party meet Ahead of the Parliament session, leaders of the JD(U), RJD, YSRCP and BJD have demanded special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively at an all-party meet on July 21. JD(U)‘s Sanjay Jha said, “We demand special category status [for Bihar], we have been raising this issue for a very long time. And if there is any technical problem in this, then give us special package.” YSRCP leader Vijay Sai Reddy said, “The special category status for Andhra Pradesh is the only solution for the development of the State, which TDP, the ruling party, is completely silent on.” He added, “The TDP is not raising the issue of special category status. They have reached a compromise with the BJP. Jagan Mohan Reddy, former CM will hold a dharna in Delhi on Wednesday on the alarming law and order situation in the State.” Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Parliamentary Party Leader of the TDP, said, “It is not a matter of one or two demands. There are several legacy issues. We will be placing a white paper on record in Parliament on the economic situation of Andhra Pradesh. We definitely need support of central government.” BJD leader Sasmit Patra said that his party demanded a special category status for Odisha. Earlier, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, noted that the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively at the meeting, and said that the TDP kept quiet on the matter. 55 leaders from 44 parties attended all-party meeting, useful discussion took place, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said after the meeting. NDA government won’t last long: Akhilesh and Mamata at TMC’s Martyrs’ Day rally Six weeks after the Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav shared a dais at a political event in Kolkata on July 21 and said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would not last long. “The government at the Centre is a guest for a few days. I had said in the Lok Sabha, and I am saying it now. The government in Delhi won’t last long; the government will collapse,” Yadav said at the Trinamool Congress Martyrs’ Day rally. Banerjee also spoke in a similar vein that the BJP-led government at the Centre would not last long as it had been formed through “intimidation” by Central agencies. The SP president said there were divisive forces that wanted to rule the country and people had to come together to save the nation. Emphasising that people of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal defeated the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Yadav heaped praises on Banerjee and urged the people at the gathering to support her in her fight. The West Bengal Chief Minister also praised the SP chief and said Yadav’s party had emerged as the second largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. The SP has got 35 seats and the TMC 29 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. Like Yadav, Banerjee said she would fight against communalism and the Trinamool Congress would never join hands with the BJP. Yadav’s presence at the rally assumes significance as Banerjee is trying to have a front of regional parties against the NDA government. Addressing the gathering, Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee gave out stern message to party leaders asking them to be “soft and gentle with people and suppress greed.” Mamata Banerjee offers shelter to Bangladeshis amid escalating violence Expressing solidarity with the people of strife-torn Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 21 said the State would open its doors to people in distress from the neighbouring country. “I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter for the Centre. But I can tell you this — if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” she said at the Trinamool Congress’ ‘Martyrs Day’ rally. The CM highlighted a United Nations resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those facing turmoil. She gave the example of ethnic conflict in Assam and said West Bengal had sheltered people of the neighbouring State during it. She also urged her party workers to exercise restraint on the issue of Bangladesh. Of the 4,096 km-long border that India shares with Bangladesh, the longest segment of 2,216 km is shared with West Bengal. The Border Security Force (BSF) in a press statement said that over the past four days, 1,062 students entered West Bengal from three Land Customs Stations (LCSs) at Ghojadanga, Gede, and Mahadipur, and the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Petrapole. Of the 1,062 students, 901 are Indians, and the remaining are students from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. In Brief: Contrasting fifties from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh were complemented nicely by the bowlers as India notched up a massive 78-run win over UAE in their second match of the ongoing women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, on July 21. Invited to bat, Kaur played the anchor’s role to perfection with a 47-ball 66, while Ghosh produced late charge with an unbeaten 29-ball-64 to power defending champions India to 201 for five, their first-ever 200-plus score in T20Is. The bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma (2/23), then produced a clinical show to limit UAE to 123 for 7 as India put one foot in the semifinals. With two wins in as many games, India occupy the top spot in group A with four points and have a Net Run Rate of +3.298. India will play their third and final group game against Nepal on July 23. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 21 July 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Haryana suspends Internet, bulk SMS for 24 hours in Nuh ahead of Braj Mandal Yatra The Haryana government on July 21 ordered [suspension of mobile Internet and the bulk SMS services in Nuh]( district for 24 hours ahead of the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra that was marred by violence last year. The Internet service in the district will remain suspended from 6 p.m. on July 21 (Sunday) to 6 p.m. on July 22 (Monday), according to an order by Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Anurag Rastogi. The suspension came “to stop the spread of misinformation and rumours” through social media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Meanwhile, the Nuh Police said tight security arrangements have been made to ensure that the Yatra passes off smoothly. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court scraps most job quotas that triggered deadly protests Bangladesh’s top court on July 21 [pared back contentious civil service hiring rules]( but failed to mollify university student leaders, whose demonstrations against the scheme sparked nationwide clashes that have killed 151 people. What began as a protest against politicised admission quotas for sought-after government jobs snowballed this week into some of the worst unrest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. Soldiers are patrolling cities across Bangladesh after riot police failed to restore order, while a nationwide Internet blackout since July 18 has drastically restricted the flow of information to the outside world. The Supreme Court was due to decide next month on the legality of the recently reintroduced scheme that reserves more than half of government jobs for select applicants but brought forward its verdict as the civil strife intensified. It decided that a lower bench’s order last month to reintroduce the scheme was “illegal”, Bangladeshi Attorney General A.M. Amin Uddin told AFP. Shah Monjurul Hoque, a lawyer involved in the case, told AFP that the court had also asked protesting students “to return to class” after issuing its verdict. The ruling curtailed the number of reserved jobs, from 56% of all positions to 7%, but fell short of meeting protester demands. It reserved 5% of all government jobs for the children of “freedom fighters” from Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, down from 30%. 1% were reserved for tribal communities, and another 1% for people with disabilities or identifying as third gender under Bangladeshi law. The remaining 93% of positions would be decided on merit, the court ruled. Nipah death again in Kerala, 14-year-old boy under treatment dies in Kozhikode The [Nipah virus claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy from Kerala’s Malappuram]( district on July 21. The resurgence of the disease, which often spreads from fruit bats to other animals and human beings, has prompted the government to impose containment measures in at least two panchayats in the district. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the teenager died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, while under intense medical care. She attributed the cause of death to a massive cardiac arrest. The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirmed that the teenager had succumbed to a Nipah virus infection. A previous Nipah outbreak in Malappuram and Kozhikode had claimed 17 lives in 2018. At least three of the boy’s relatives are under surveillance at the hospital, and four others who interacted with him are under observation at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital in Malappuram, George said. She said that those in the high-risk contacted category did not show any symptoms of a Nipah infection. At least seven samples have tested negative. The State Health Minister counselled the public against panic and said that the situation was under control. Doctors had injected the boy with a monoclonal antibody procured from Australia by the Indian Council of Medical Research, but George noted that the injection is meant to be administered within five days of the patient showing signs of infection. “In the teenager’s case, the deadline for the infusion of antibodies had passed. Still, the medical board authorised the administration as a desperate life-saving measure,” she added. The government has stepped up containment measures in Malappuram, with District Collector V.R. Vinod declaring masks and social distancing mandatory till further notice. He has closed educational institutions in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats and cinema theatres will also remain shut. Vinod asked people to avoid social gatherings. Shops within the containment zones must open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. District Medical Officer R. Renuka warned people against self-treatment. She advised them to seek medical attention immediately if they develop fever symptoms and also counselled the public not to consume partly-eaten fruit leftovers, including those dropped by bats, birds, or animals. The Union government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team in Malappuram to support the State. The team will help identify epidemiological linkages and provide technical assistance. Monsoon session 2024: JD(U), RJD, YSRCP, BJD demand special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha at all-party meet Ahead of the Parliament session, leaders of the JD(U), RJD, YSRCP and BJD have [demanded special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha]( respectively at an all-party meet on July 21. JD(U)‘s Sanjay Jha said, “We demand special category status [for Bihar], we have been raising this issue for a very long time. And if there is any technical problem in this, then give us special package.” YSRCP leader Vijay Sai Reddy said, “The special category status for Andhra Pradesh is the only solution for the development of the State, which TDP, the ruling party, is completely silent on.” He added, “The TDP is not raising the issue of special category status. They have reached a compromise with the BJP. Jagan Mohan Reddy, former CM will hold a dharna in Delhi on Wednesday on the alarming law and order situation in the State.” Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Parliamentary Party Leader of the TDP, said, “It is not a matter of one or two demands. There are several legacy issues. We will be placing a white paper on record in Parliament on the economic situation of Andhra Pradesh. We definitely need support of central government.” BJD leader Sasmit Patra said that his party demanded a special category status for Odisha. Earlier, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, noted that the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively at the meeting, and said that the TDP kept quiet on the matter. 55 leaders from 44 parties attended all-party meeting, useful discussion took place, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said after the meeting. NDA government won’t last long: Akhilesh and Mamata at TMC’s Martyrs’ Day rally Six weeks after the Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav [shared a dais at a political event in Kolkata]( on July 21 and said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would not last long. “The government at the Centre is a guest for a few days. I had said in the Lok Sabha, and I am saying it now. The government in Delhi won’t last long; the government will collapse,” Yadav said at the Trinamool Congress Martyrs’ Day rally. Banerjee also spoke in a similar vein that the BJP-led government at the Centre would not last long as it had been formed through “intimidation” by Central agencies. The SP president said there were divisive forces that wanted to rule the country and people had to come together to save the nation. Emphasising that people of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal defeated the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Yadav heaped praises on Banerjee and urged the people at the gathering to support her in her fight. The West Bengal Chief Minister also praised the SP chief and said Yadav’s party had emerged as the second largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. The SP has got 35 seats and the TMC 29 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. Like Yadav, Banerjee said she would fight against communalism and the Trinamool Congress would never join hands with the BJP. Yadav’s presence at the rally assumes significance as Banerjee is trying to have a front of regional parties against the NDA government. Addressing the gathering, Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee gave out stern message to party leaders asking them to be “soft and gentle with people and suppress greed.” Mamata Banerjee offers shelter to Bangladeshis amid escalating violence Expressing solidarity with the people of strife-torn Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 21 said the [State would open its doors to people in distress]( from the neighbouring country. “I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter for the Centre. But I can tell you this — if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” she said at the Trinamool Congress’ ‘Martyrs Day’ rally. The CM highlighted a United Nations resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those facing turmoil. She gave the example of ethnic conflict in Assam and said West Bengal had sheltered people of the neighbouring State during it. She also urged her party workers to exercise restraint on the issue of Bangladesh. Of the 4,096 km-long border that India shares with Bangladesh, the longest segment of 2,216 km is shared with West Bengal. The Border Security Force (BSF) in a press statement said that over the past four days, 1,062 students entered West Bengal from three Land Customs Stations (LCSs) at Ghojadanga, Gede, and Mahadipur, and the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Petrapole. Of the 1,062 students, 901 are Indians, and the remaining are students from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. In Brief: Contrasting fifties from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh were complemented nicely by the bowlers as [India notched up a massive 78-run win over UAE]( in their second match of the ongoing women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, on July 21. Invited to bat, Kaur played the anchor’s role to perfection with a 47-ball 66, while Ghosh produced late charge with an unbeaten 29-ball-64 to power defending champions India to 201 for five, their first-ever 200-plus score in T20Is. The bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma (2/23), then produced a clinical show to limit UAE to 123 for 7 as India put one foot in the semifinals. With two wins in as many games, India occupy the top spot in group A with four points and have a Net Run Rate of +3.298. India will play their third and final group game against Nepal on July 23. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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