CBSE Class 12 exams: Covid concerns, states’ feedback triggered cancellation

Following the cancellation of CBSE class 10 board exams, the CBSE class 12 board exams were also cancelled in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The board examinations have been one of the most important examinations for the students.

The decision was taken considering the safety of students amid the coronavirus pandemic. It was also decided that the results will be made as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. It is expected to be in line with the decision made in April for the CBSE class 10 board exams.

After the decision, PM Modi said that the CBSE class 12 board examinations were cancelled in the interest of students due to uncertain situation created due to pandemic. During the review meeting, the officials presented their views on the subject in details.

PM Modi said, “The health and safety of our students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect. The anxiety among students, parents and teachers should come to an end. In today’s time, such exams cannot be the reason to put our youth at risk. Students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation.”

The government had been thinking about the issue for the long time. There were high-level meetings conducted by PM on board exams. A high-level meeting was conducted on May 21, where ministers and officials attended. Then, a meeting was conducted in the chairmanship of Union Defence Minister on May 23. It was attended by the education ministers of the states. There was a discussion on various options for the implementation of CBSE exams. Feedback was taken from the states and UTs.

On Tuesday, the meeting was attended by different ministers including Home, Defence, Finance, Commerce, Information & Broadcasting, Petroleum and Women and Child Development Ministries and Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of School Education and Higher Education Departments and other officials.

Before the decision, there were also demands from the students to cancel the board examinations for quite some time. The decision on the board exams was quite awaited and students were waiting anxiously for it. As a matter of fact, #cancelboardexams2021 was trending on Twitter for long time.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was very vocal about the cancellation of the board examinations. He had asked the government to cancel the class 12 board examinations and had suggested the board to evaluate the performance of the students on the basis of past performances. He had also put forth an idea that all the students should get vaccines before appearing for examinations.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also written to the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal urging him to cancel the class 12 board exams due the pandemic and said that children will be subjected to great injustice if they are pushed into circumstances that endanger their lives.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) had also written a letter to the central government to cancel the class 12 exams. In the letter, FICCI had cautioned the government about the worsening of Covid situation. The matter was in court as well. The Centre had informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it will take a final decision within the next days about the possibility of class 12 exams.

However, just a day prior to the decision, an RSS affiliated body had also written to PM Modi to ensure the class 12 board examinations. They had suggested different ways to conduct the examination. They suggested change in the pattern of exam to objective and allow exams to be conducted at home.

On April 14, the CBSE had announced the cancellation of class 10 board examinations and postponed the class 12 examination as the coronavirus cases continued to surge all across the country. Since then, class 12 examinations were a hot topic of discussion. 

‘Gandha’- Smell as a catalyst in story telling

 Amazon Prime as an OTT throws many classical movie gems at you. One of the gems that I chanced upon was Sachin Kundalkar’s Marathi movie ‘Gandha’. The meaning of the title means smell. The movie was released in 2009 and combines three stories written by Sachin Kundalkar and his mother Archana Kundalkar.  

The movie is a collage of three stories Lagnaachya Vayachi Mulgi (A Bride-To-Be), Aushadh Ghenara Manus (A Man on Medicines), and Baajoola Basleli Baai (A Woman Sitting Aside). Even before I tell you about what is there in each of the stories let me tell you that all three have two central themes and focus. They are that every story revolves around the woman characters and secondly smell as a sense resonates around all of them.

The movie transported me to former Deputy Director of National Center of Performing Arts Ashok Ranade’s workshop on creativity that I had attended many years ago. A celebrated scholar on sound, he had first done a demonstration exercise with us participants. At the end of the exercise, he concluded that we restrict our creativity as we only focus more on our sense of sight. In the process we ignore our other senses of smell, hearing and touch. 

The message of the scholar, who is no more, resonated in my mind throughout the movie as the concept of smell lingered at all times. In fact it was ‘smell’ as a character that took the story forward, created a crescendo of sorts and brought the story to a twist or a turn. 

The smell is manifest in many forms in three stories told in one movie. The dirty odour depicts the troubled times in which Milind Soman’s character in ‘A Man On Medicines’ is going through. The fragrance that gets Amruta Subhash attracted in a bride-to-be brings the story to a new turn. Hence, smell is nostalgic, inviting, stifling as well as tense in various stories embedded in the movie.

The story in the first movie happens in a traditional old chawl in an upper caste neighborhood in Pune. The traditional parents of Veena are eager to find a suitor for her to whom they can get her married as soon as possible. Daily prayers to Gurudutt or the three headed deity are on. 

Every weekend of Veena, who works in a clerical role in an art college, is spent meeting boys who visit Veena’s house. It is here when Mangesh, a slightly elder student in the arts college, meets her. Her colleague tells her that Mangesh, with his bloodshot sleepy eyes, is a classified drunkard. However, a certain fragrance emitting from his body encourages Veena to chase him in decrepit bylanes right up to a dingy room where Mangesh works in the night along with his other family members making incense sticks or Agarbattis. The smell and the chase dispel the rumour. Their love flowers and romance blooms. Fragrance connects both of them. 

The second movie ‘A Man On Medicines’ is where supermodel Milind Soman plays Sarang who is a HIV patient. Raavi plays his estranged wife from one and a half years. His parents have also estranged him. He lives in this tastefully made apartment where the only human presence is the maid who cooks for him and cleans the house. Raavi is visiting him after a year and half. He has asked the maid to cook dishes that Raavi relishes. Since the time that Raavi enters his apartment, she complains of a lingering bad smell in the apartment.

They both reminisce about their old times and good moments that they have spent together. After a few moments of impromptu laughter, singing over glasses of wine, Sarang hands over the divorce papers to her, not out of scorn but in a bid to allow Raavi to start life all over again while he lives his remaining years in peace. She turns emotional and expresses that they should give their marriage another shot. Suddenly, the dirty smell overpowers the room. The smell almost is a metaphor for the lost spark and the stink surrounding their relationship. She ransacks the house, almost like a woman possessed, till she finds a dead rat under a table. Sarang realises that he has lost his sense of smell while Raavi, who visits the house as a temporary whiff of fresh air, leaves the house while the stink and the benumbed sense of smell of Sarang, both stay on. 

The third story called ‘A Woman Sitting Aside’ was my favourite. Celebrated English and Hindi theatre thespian and Marathi actress Neena Kulkarni plays Janaki, the elder daughter-in-law in an extremely traditional house in Konkan. 

The setting is perfect in the coastal area of Maharashtra. It is raining cats and dogs near this multi-storied village house. There are many parallel things happening in the movie. Janaki’s husband has gone out of the village for some work. Her younger sister-in-law is experiencing delivery pains. Access to medical facilities is less and hence a local mid-wife or a ‘Dai Maa’ is summoned to help the going on. 

Janaki’s menstrual cycle co-incides with the busy chores in the house and hence she has to stay away from the kitchen and the delivery room. The over-burdened mother-in-law doesn’t show any empathy and liberally curses Janaki for her inability to stay pregnant. However, Janaki is a lively woman. She is not educated beyond her school but ensures that her young nephew learns his poems well. She is anxious about her husband due to the ongoing rain and lack of any communication. However, the husband upon his return reacts in an extremely terse way with her.

Her only relief in her life is the card games that she plays with her nephew, the fragrance of the monsoon weather that she enjoys and the smell of the semolina sweet and papadums that are cooked to celebrate the arrival of a second baby boy in the family. She longs to meet her younger nephew. Here, too, smell is the only loyal friend of Janaki where the relations around her stink due to her inability to give birth.

The movie depicts women with agency over their lives as well as those with vulnerabilities. However, the central plot is that of smell. The character of smell unifies, divides as well sometimes just provides temporary solace in a torn life.

Covid vaccination drive begins at DAV School in Gurugram

 DAV Public School, Uppal's Southend in Gurugram's Sector-49 joined hands  with the Gurugram's Health Department to initiate a vaccination drive to 'take India on to the road of safety and well being'.

The school, in a poster said, "We are now a COVID-19 vaccination site and the announcement will be made once vaccination capacity is reached."

The vaccination drive is free of cost and there's no need to book a slot. It is a walk-in vaccination drive. 

One needs to carry mandatory documents like an Aadhaar card for their inoculation. The vaccine drive began on May 31, 10 am onwards. The drive is for everyone above the age of 18 years. The poster also recommended people to wear comfortable clothing to expose their shoulder for getting the jab.

One of the school's officials said, "If you and your family are fortunate enough to be able to offer support, we urge parents and alumni to volunteer in any capacity. We request the DAV community for their vast experience, use resources and contacts to help those in need via the portal c19sos.org, and also to register as volunteers in any capacity."

"People who are vaccinated and willing to drive may help others in the community by transporting critically needed oxygen cylinders. They may leave the food at the door steps of those who are too weak to step out. They may reach out and check the well being of those that are sick or alone, or they may just help research local data on available resources and populate updated information on c19sos.org," the official added.

Neha Rawat, a DAV student said, "This initiative has made me more proud of my alma mater. Since LKG to Class 12, I have seen and learnt that DAV believes in inculcating habits like helping others before yourself and always wants its students to take the right path. If you look at the history of DAV, its founders were reformers, who wanted to help people without asking anything in return. DAV doesn't believe in just saying but doing what they actually believe and this particular initiative is a wonderful example of its values -- to help others first."

Milk Made Memories

 Milk is referred to as complete food and it is one of the most widely used ingredients. I never liked the taste or the smell of raw milk. As a child I always tried to make my excuses look genuine to avoid drinking that mandatory glass of milk. 

My mother tried new methods to make my glass of milk taste better, all she wanted was to make me drink that healthy glass of nutrients. Maa would mix Horlicks, Boost and Complan to my glass of milk claiming it would taste and smell better. She even tried serving milk with Chocos and Corn Flakes but I as a kid preferred to munch on them rather than putting them in my bowl of milk. Finally, Bournvita suited my taste, and became my constant. 

Be it a glass of milk, a yummy glass of milkshake or a bowl of heavenly kheer one of the undoubtedly cutest milk made memory is the milk moustache. I have always savoured kheer happily because it didn’t taste or smell like milk. 

There are people who prefer milk products like cheese, paneer, butter and curd over milk and I am one of those people. I religiously love the lip-smacking taste of cheese. My love for paneer extends from protein rich salad to shahi-paneer. I utterly loved buttery parathas with milk-chai. 

The taste of condensed milk and milk powder tempts me. During my childhood days I used to enjoy spoonful of condensed milk or milk powder while watching cartoons on television. Now it’s a nostalgia. I miss no chance to savour the same taste with the same feeling again. 

My mother loves cooking, she has always been fond of sweets. Especially bengali sweets. Mother’s kitchen cupboards and her refrigerator never disappoint me. They are always filled with things I love. The refrigerator stored various sweets and desserts including home-made ice-creams of different flavours, milk cake, roshogolla, kalakand and other varied range on Indian sweets. Milk made wonders! Our refrigerator seemed like a mini mishthan-bhandar.

While travelling I got the taste of rabri and piping hot kadhai dudh served in kullarhs, especially in Mathura-Vrindavan. Rabri is a sweet, condensed-milk-based dish, made by boiling milk on low heat for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its colour to off-white or pale yellow. Jaggery, spices, and nuts are added to it to give it flavour. It is chilled and served as dessert. 

Since childhood I had only consumed cow milk. Once while I was on an expedition in Rajasthan I got introduced to camel milk. I tried camel milk tea there, and expressed “it’s tasteless”.

Though I would still mention that according to the health experts, camel milk is healthy and can be better option for those who are lactose intolerant, studies say that it lowers blood sugar and helps moderating the insulin levels. 

With time I got introduced to exotic milks like coconut milk, almond milk and soya milk. Recently i tried almond milk coffee at Blue Tokai & Starbucks and it wasn’t a bad experience for me. 

Milk made memories since childhood till now, and I am sure it will continue to do so. If you are someone who doesn’t like raw milk like me and still have milk made memories do let us know in the comments section. 

Milk, diet & weight loss

Milk is an excellent source of nutrients. There are different types of milk such as cow milk, buffalo milk, camel milk and even donkey milk. Vegan milk includes soya milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oats milk and rice milk. 

On June 1, to mark the beginning of Dairy Month and to celebrate World Milk Day CitySpidey conducted an interactive LIVE session “Milk’n’More” on Instagram. Founder of Your Diet Lounge Shiimpy Matharu, a renowned dietitian and nutritionist discussed types of milk and its importance in the daily diet and shared some of the exotic milk recipes to make it tastier.  

The talk session started with a very basic question “What is the importance of milk when you plan a diet chart? “, to which Matharu answered that milk is a whole food.

To highlight the importance of milk she stresses on the fact that a newly born infant feeds on nothing but milk. Matharu said that milk is a filling energy drink that improves bone health, strengthens muscle, improves eyesight, supports in culturing red blood cells in the body the potassium and betters the nervous system. 

The dietitian shared her personal experiences during the live session. She talked about her childhood memories and how she savoured milk. 

The dietitian expressed that milk is a complete food in itself! She talked about the vital nutrients that a glass of milk has in it. These include calcium, potassium, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and essential minerals like phosphorus. 

On being asked “If milk and milk products tend to increase body weight?”
Matharu strongly highlights that there are many beliefs, but they aren’t facts. She considers these belief systems to be negative. The dietitian strongly suggests drinking milk and consuming milk products.

Matharu herself keeps a couple of glasses of milk in her weight loss diet plan. As a nutritionist she shares that everyone can eat everything. One must focus more on how much to eat and when to eat. 

Matharu was asked how much milk an individual can consume in their daily diet and what’s the best time to consume milk. 

She said that a woman can consume up to 500ml of milk whereas men can consume up to 800ml of milk in a day. She discussed in the sessions that morning and evening hours are the best time to consume milk. 

When asked her about milk and acidity issues this is what she had to say – “Firstly, get yourself tested, maybe you are lactose intolerant, and secondly if someone is facing an acidity issue that person must avoid consuming hot milk.”
Matharu suggested that rather than having hot milk one can drink cold milk as it kills acidity. For gastric patients’ dietitian Mathrau suggests avoiding consumption of milk at night. 

During the session Matharu talked about the benefits of turmeric latte as well. The viewers actively participated in the live session and raised their queries. 
One of the viewers commented, “There is so much to know about milk”.

The talk session had many interactive questions from the viewers. One of them asked, “Which is the best milk to consume?“ Matharu answered that it’s the drinker’s choice. She said that the consumer needs to know his or her body and select which milk suits the consumer. 

Matharu said cow milk is very good but it won’t suit a lactose intolerant and a vegan. Again, oats milk is nutritious and vegan but gluten intolerant can’t consume it. So, it’s important to know your and to know your milk. She also discussed the nutrition value of different types of milk in the session. 
She shared some amazing recipes to try with milk during the live session. She shared a yummy smoothie recipe filled with the goodness of milk, nuts and fruits. 

50-year-old tree set upright with help of two cranes, one JCB

 On May 21, a tree in Dwarka's Sector 6 fell due to concretisation. The  tree is said to be over 50 years old. Around 15-16  (small and big) trees are in the same situation. Since the incident  happened, horticulture officers came to prune and cut it. But with the  help of an NGO and some people, the tree was saved from getting  completely demolished and was to be given a chance to grow  again. The stump is being watered daily for it to not lose its life  force and become completely dry.

Madhukar Varshney, Founder of Rising Foundation, who was also helping  the fallen tree to be restored from the start said "Finally, the old bargad tree that had fallen in Pocket 2 of DDA flats, Sector 6 has  been set upright. The first attempt, with one JCB and one crane failed. In the second attempt today, with 2 Cranes and one JCB, it was set upright.’’

Thanks to the Almighty, Maddhukar Varshney (Founder RISE Foundation),  Deepak Bhardwaj, Munish Kundra, Sumit Kapoor, Mrs Kamaljeet Sehrawat  Ji, and the SDMC team led by SO Jaiender, members of NGO Green  Circle and the environment-conscious residents for supporting this mammoth task.
Request to all the Authorities (DDA, MCD, Forest Department) to get concrete removed from the trees to save them from falling during storms".

Munish Kundra, Secretary of Brahma Apartments said " A large bargad tree had fallen in the Sec 6 DDA Flats Pocket 2. The tree fell during  the storm that hit Delhi last week on Friday night. The large tree was  heavily concreted and its root became weak which could not sustain the  high-pressure storm. There are several trees in the same pocket and several other areas in Dwarka in a similar condition where  concretization is destroying the trees. Thankful for the support from SDMC Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat and her team, NGO Rise Foundation Green Circle and environment-friendly residents".

Delhi's storm uproots many trees in Dwarka

 The thunderstorm in Dwarka on Monday night had a devastating effect on the horticulture of the city. All across Dwarka, many well grown trees and plants were damaged. Residents shared lots of love while they were on a round of Dwarka this morning.

Trees on the central verge or at the corners of the roads were badly hit by the strong winds. Mainly sheesham trees were seen lying on the roads after the storm. In other parts of the city too the trees and plants were badly damaged by the storm. On roads, in the parks and also inside the societies trees and plants were damaged. Dead trees of Sheesham fell down on roads while the trees inclined at acute angles were also fallen down by the speedy wind.

South-West DM withdraws order classifying domestic helps as non-essential

 

The office of the District Magistrate South- West District on Tuesday withdrew its May 31 order which stated that maids, house helps and car wash employees were not considered as essential workers, and are not permitted within residential areas. The May 31 order also stated that construction activities within residential complexes were not permitted. 

However, in a corrigendum issued on Tuesday, the DM office said that the May 31 order has been withdrawn with immediate effect. 

On May 31, Piyush Mohanty, SDM, DDMA, South-West district had said that whatever activity the order doesn't mention as permitted will be automatically deemed as prohibited/restricted. 

He further said that the aforementioned points must be understood in context of the fact that the overall goal of the curfew extension is to restrict mobility of the people.

By prematurely permitting entry of maids in societies or starting construction activities in residential areas, the objective of the curfew extension will remain unattainable, he said.

He had also requested the RWAs to assist the administration and prevent any violation of the DDMA order as it will attract penal actions under applicable laws.

A viral post, a young doctor & his Covid-19 journey

 As the country is still struggling with a high number of covid cases, our frontline workers are working dedicatedly, putting their physical and mental well being at risk. Taking care of Covid-19 patients has made the frontline workers vulnerable to the virus and their health is always at risk.

Dr Pradeish, 26, MBBS graduate from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is presently  working for the Vijaya Group of hospitals as a duty medical officer. He was raised in Chennai and lives with his family members and his pets. He said, "It’s been my childhood ambition to be a doctor and I made sure I worked for it. Yes, I had hiccups here and there but I was constantly backed and supported by my family, from the eldest to youngest here. Whatever I’m today and whatever I’m gonna be after sometime, I owe that to each and everyone in my family. I’m nothing without them."

He later added " As a post MBBS graduate, I fall under the category ‘Junior Doctor’. We are called by different names, DMO; RMO; JR and so on. The nature of my work is to work around senior doctors,  consultants and other healthcare workers and help them in carrying out  their orders and learn in that process. We belong to a profession where we constantly need to learn and update since that’s how the healthcare industry will evolve. I have at least 6 years of studies left in medicine, 3 years for my specialty & 3 for my super-specialty. I have worked smart rather than hard to reach where I’m today and that will be pretty much the same in future as well. I’ve had my share  of struggles and obstacles and I still do but I consider them as  experiences that make me a better person and a better doctor. This is what I signed up for and I am not complaining.

All that takes to be a doctor is years of consistency, perseverance  and patience as you approach your goal. It’s ok to deviate or distract  in the middle but you must not forget your destination".

Later he said that they came to know about this virus last year in February when they started heeding about the covid infection. He said, "At the outset just like the common people, little did I know about  the pandemic. We started receiving cases and the hospital was slowly getting ready for the general public. We were getting oriented to the COVID-19 under the guidance of senior consultants. My journey with the pandemic began there".

He added, "The most dreadful event that I saw during this COVID first wave was the death of a renowned neurosurgeon, Dr Simon Hercules, from Chennai. It breaks my heart how doctors are sometimes treated with disrespect. We place everyone,  mainly the patient above us, on any day. Not just me but every healthcare  worker for that matter. I’d like to share a personal experience that’s related to the above statement. During the verge of my shift in the ER, a patient went into cardiac arrest and we had to start resuscitation measures. I had already doffed myself off from the PPE kit, I didn’t know if he was
COVID positive or not.  Without a second thought, I  joined my team and started treating the patient.  Later we came to know he was COVID positive. However, with blessings of  the almighty, my family’s prayers, I remained  unaffected".

He said that he has seen many young people dying due to this dreadful virus but all because of mistakes that people tend to make by not following the general guidelines.

He added, "Concerning the second wave, I see a lot of  young individuals dying, certainly not due to lack of any resource or  infrastructure or government but due to lack of self-discipline among the common people. Before blaming people who are doing so much during this pandemic, ask yourself,” What have I done for the welfare of others in this pandemic?” What breaks my heart is the loss of two female patients in their  mid 30’s. One was pregnant and the other was the mother of an  11-year-old. It’s been like 3 days since this happened and I must  admit I’m still not over the loss of both of them.  The second wave has certainly only tested the mental stability of  health care workers all over the world. It’s indeed frustrating and  depressing to accept reality and move forward".

They hardly get time for themselves and their families.  Pradiesh said that during their shift hours they try to give their 200  percent, and when they are not working, they are either trying to reach out to  the vulnerable or help people in need to the best of their capacities.  He said "I am extremely proud of all the frontline workers who just  don’t operate from the bird’s eye view but who are on the field  helping the people without any expectations.

He added, "I haven’t contracted the virus yet and I hope I don’t in the future as well as I take all precautions I’m supposed to keep myself and others around me safe. At work, I ensure I properly wear my PPE  and sanitise my hands often. When I’m back home, the first thing I do is bathe and isolate myself at home and maintain distance. I ensure hygiene is maintained at all levels. I have taken both doses of vaccine make sure follow all the existing and newer guidelines.’’

My message to the general public is -

1. Wear a mask every time you step out of your home.
2. Maintain social distancing & avoid social gathering and unnecessary travel.
3. Eat healthily and keep yourself hydrated.
4. Do not panic if you are sick. Consult a doctor and do not be your own doctor. Also do not rush to the hospital to get a bed unless you absolutely need to.
5. Practise pranayama (breathing exercise)
6. Do steam inhalation and salt water gargling at least twice a day.
7. Do not forward information unless it’s verified or authentic.

Do what you have to do and also let the healthcare professionals, front-liners, scientists & government do their jobs. We’re already overworked.
Last but not least, go and get yourself vaccinated at the earliest.

Delhi govt allows home delivery of liquor

 

As the second wave of corona hit us, a curfew was announced in the national capital around a month back. As the curfew was announced, a lot of long queues of people were observed outside liquor stores to fill up their liquor stocks in the curfew.

However, the Delhi government, on Tuesday, a day after Delhi started the unlocking process, permitted the home delivery of alcohol. The order can be placed through a mobile app or online web portal.

This comes after the request of liquor manufacturers to the Delhi government to permit the home delivery of liquor. In Maharashtra as well, the home delivery of liquor is allowed. After the setback given by the second wave of Corona, the Delhi Government has finally taken this into concern.

A lot of major cities across the nation were shut due to Covid and thus a lot of people could be seen gathering outside wine shops to get their liquor. This decision comes after the positivity rate in Delhi dipped below 1 per cent for the first time since March 19. 

Vaccination drives comes to halt in residential societies

 

The vaccination for those who are 18+ came to a halt after shortage of vaccine in the national capital. In the government vaccination centres, there is no vaccination drive for this age group and in private hospitals, booking a slot has become a game of fastest finger first.

In the wake of the same, residential societies and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) started vaccination drives in association with hospitals. These drives were aimed at getting maximum people vaccinated. However, on Sunday evening, these vaccination drives at some places were stopped.

In such vaccination drives, private hospitals were charging a fee of Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,100 per dose. Everyone of age 18 and above was eligible to get vaccinated. The sudden cessation of these vaccination drives is being blamed on an order passed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

On May 29, the Ministry's Additional Secretary, Dr Manohar Agnani issued a letter to the Health Secretary and Principal Secretaries of all the states. It said that it has come into notice that some private hospitals are associated with some hotel groups in giving Covid Vaccination Package.

According to the guidelines, only four options are available for people to get vaccinated – government vaccination centre, private Covid vaccination centre, workplace Covid vaccination centre and vaccination centres near home only for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

However, such vaccination drives were being organised temporarily at community centres, RWA offices, Panchayat Bhawan, educational institutions, old age homes etc. After this letter was issued, all such vaccination drives were terminated on Monday.

On Saturday, a drive was organised in a society in Dwarka’s Sector-6 in association with Manipal Hospital. On Monday, this drive was to be organised in Delhi Apartments, Dwarka. Around 200 people had given their names to society’s management committee to get vaccinated, however, this vaccination drive was terminated and people are disappointed because of the same. 

Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele review: Finding love beyond gender

It is rarely that we see authentic and well-made stories about queer love and LGBTQIA+ relationships. And it’s even rare to seek out films that give platonic bonds and friendship the ‘soulmate’ status that's reserved for romantic liaisons. I was thrilled when the  trailer of “Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele” gave me all that and more with a title that I could sing (don’t lie, you did it too)!

Mansi and Veer are both on the run. One is running from an arranged marriage, the opposite is running from his fiance-to-be. Mansi (Zareen Khan) and Veer (Anshuman Jha) rejecting conventional, rigid parents and stereotypical expectations and running towards their respective partners. But ‘complicated’ is an irony when it involves each one’s relationship status.

Oppressed by his father Colonel Randhawa, a shaky Veer leaves Chandigarh and goes straight to Delhi to his lover Akshay’s (Gurfateh Pirzada) with whom he had affair for 4 years and wife Mitali’s (Prabhleen Kaur) house. Mansi, who is out and proud, comes to Delhi to reunite with her long-term girlfriend Nikki only to discover that Nikki (Jahnvi Rawat) is away in her hometown of McLeod Ganj.

That very night Veer and Mansi has a meet-cute at a LGBTQIA+ party. Mansi observes that things are not hunky-dory in Veer’s and Akshay's paradise and many glasses of wine later she’s taking shelter in Veer’s apartment. By the next morning, when he got hurt by Akshay for not telling the truth to everyone, she asked him to join her on a road trip to McLeod Ganj and heal his broken heart while driving her to Nikki. But road trips are all about the unpredictable journey and all that twist and turns.

The screenplay, by director Harish Vyas and Susan Fernandes, turns out like an LGBTQIA+ variation of Jab We Met. Mansi is cheerful and messy; Veer is reserved and obsessed with cleaning. She is easier with herself than he's, and in contrast to him, hasn’t hidden her truth from her family.

The contrasts in personality provide the occasional zing during a film that has no shortage of empathy or, unfortunately, footage. Sometimes playing out sort of a stereotypical art house drama, with stretches of overly lengthy conversations, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele frequently undercuts its potential for wisdom gleaned through light-hearted and fleet fun.

Perhaps the script has got to do with the underdeveloped plot, which deftly sets up its premise, on the other hand doesn’t quite develop it. How do a sensitive but lonely queer man and woman find common ground? Is there more to the connection between Veer and Mansi than circumstance? The 118-minute movie doesn’t have an excessive amount of that's new or insightful to mention on the topic.

The easy chemistry between Anshuman Jha and Zareen Khan moves matters along. While Jha is usually competent, Zareen Khan provides all the surprises. She is full of energy and more relaxed than she has ever been, Khan embraces Mansi’s quirks and possibilities with visible relief.

This movie was about ‘Love beyond gender’ as a personality says at one point, but you finish up wondering if the makers did complete justice to it? Directed by Harish Vyas, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Bollywood films that portrayed the LGBTQIA+ community realistically

 There was a time in Bollywood when gay characters were written in the scripts to only be treated as humour elements. But now the time has changed and so has the law! The recent years has witnessed path-breaking Bollywood LGBTQIA+ movies where artists portrayed LGBTQ+ roles with earnest interests.

Unfortunately, the subject is still taboo to our censor board. Well, that’s a damn shame because we’ve been gifted some really wonderful movies which tackle the topic in a unique manner.

Most of us love Bollywood and the dose of drama and excitement it brings with it. We’ve fallen in love every time Shah Rukh Khan has spread open his arms, we’ve danced to songs with cringe-worthy lyrics (guilty), sat at the edge of our seats when the hero gets beaten up in an overly dramatic action sequence. We’ve picked up dialogues, taken fashion inspiration and turned them into trends that live on for years. Bollywood always finds a way to entertain its audiences in one way or another with its mass appeal and its loud but interesting characters. But today, this isn’t about those films.

Every once in a while there comes a gem of a film, which makes us fall in love with its relatable storyline, its screenplay, its subtlety and its characters. A film that changes the way one sees and perceives ideas and challenges us to think beyond our social beliefs.

Here is a list of Bollywood LGTBQ movies and the actors who showed their craftsmanship by admirably playing LGBTQIA+ roles:

1. Margarita, with a Straw

In this revelation of a movie, Kalki Koechlin plays a teenager with cerebral palsy. She moves to New York City with her mother, a traditional woman, to study at New York University (NYU). She meets and falls for a blind Pakistani woman but is also attracted to another man, Jared. Through this movie, she discovers her bisexuality while balancing her relationship with her mother. It’s beautifully executed.  Best part of the movie though is having no actors in the movie. All we could see in the movie were characters who were differently-abled living unapologetically in this beautifully constructed tale. The story is a well webbed narration with each character adding a different dimension to the story.

2. Aligarh

Based on a true story of Ramchandra Siras, gay professor at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), this film was shrouded in controversy and was banned in the city of Aligarh. Siras was suspended when he was caught with a man in his living quarters on campus. It caused a huge uproar with both sides, pro and anti-LGBT, fighting for or against him and his removal from his position as faculty head for being gay. Bajpayee’s performance is full of depth. Aligarh is an experience more than a film. I call it an experience because it makes one ponder over their blessed lives and how ignorant we are towards the plight of the LGBTQIA+ community.

3. Kapoor and Sons

The film is about a dysfunctional family where two estranged brothers return to their folks after their grandfather suffers a cardiac arrest and they come face to face to their parents’ collapsing marriage. Rahul Kapoor (played by Fawad Khan) is a homosexual but keeps the truth guarded until he comes out of the closet at the end of the story. Not once is Rahul Kapoor called ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual’. And with zero labels, Kapoor and Sons showcases his character in the most human way.  And yes, that is indeed a feat worth celebrating. Fawad’s performance was largely applauded by the audience.

4. Bombay Talkies

The duo that made news!

The film — an anthology of four stories by four popular filmmakers and one of them was “Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh,” both actors play homosexual characters in the movie. Randeep Hooda’s character named Dev is a married man in a complex situation and hasn’t come out of the closet.  Saqib’s character Avinash has left his parents’ house in distress because they are ashamed of his sexuality and confuse him for a eunuch. Both actors even have a kissing scene in the film which became quite the talking point for some time. Their earnest performances were hugely appreciated by everyone. Karan Johar’s Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh, probably the best of the bunch, sets the tone on what to expect with its bold and snappy banter as the mood turns from light to dark in no time. Karan spins a complex story of modern relationships that rips your heart out! In many ways, it’s a meta film about being who you really are. Like Karan wants to tell our cinema that it’s high time, we stopped lying to ourselves, time we consumed cinema not just as music or as a means to escape.

5. Fire

Powerhouse performers came together for this movie. Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das were one of the firsts to play LGBTQIA+ roles back in 1996. Five times National Award-winning actress Shabana Azmi portrayed the character of Radha and actor-director Nandita Das played the role of her sister-in-law Sita in Deepa Mehta’s Elements Trilogy. Both the characters in the film are deserted by their husbands and they fall in love with each other. These were path-breaking roles in the history of Indian cinema as back then merely speaking about LGBTQIA+ community was considered a taboo. The brilliant performances of the actresses were internationally acclaimed.

Deepa Mehta's work is recognised for its global content and appeal. However, closer home, that translates to controversy. Among others, one such movie was 'Fire' which garnered a lot of critical acclaim worldwide but failed to impress many political groups in India due to  its subject, which dealt with lesbian relationship between two sisters-in-laws in a Hindu family. The controversy ended with the leading actors, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das along with their director Deepa Mehta receiving death threats and Censor Board finally banning the movie in the country.

Do you know more Bollywood movies that got LGBTQIA+ representation right? Let's know in the comment section!