What is e-RUPI and how it will change India's digital payment behaviour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch e-RUPI, a person and purpose-specific digital payment solution on Monday (2 August 2021) at 4:30 pm via video conferencing.

What is e-RUPI?

e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment. It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries.

The users of this one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the service provider.

It has been developed by National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority.

e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface. It also ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed. Being pre-paid in nature, it assures timely payment to the service provider without the involvement of any intermediary.

It is expected to be a revolutionary initiative in the direction of ensuring a leak-proof delivery of welfare services.

It can also be used for delivering services under schemes meant for providing drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes, TB eradication programmes, drugs & diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertilizer subsidies etc. Even the private sector can leverage these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programmes.

e-RUPI is easy, safe and secure as it keeps the details of the beneficiaries completely confidential. The entire transaction process through this voucher is relatively faster and at the same time reliable, as the required amount is already stored in the voucher.

What are e-RUPI benefits for corporates?

Even corporates can benefit from e-RUPI:

Corporates can enable well-being of their employees

End to end the digital transaction and doesn’t require any physical issuance hence leading to cost reduction

Voucher redemption can be tracked by the issuer

Quick, safe and contactless voucher distribution

How will hospitals benefit from e-RUPI?

Following are the benefits for hospitals that e-RUPI might offer:

Easy and secure - Voucher is authorized via a verification code

Hassle-free and contactless payment collection - handling of cash or cards is not required

Quick redemption process - The voucher can be redeemed in a few steps and lesser decline due to the pre-blocked amount

What are e-RUPI benefits to the consumer?

Following are e-RUPI benefits to the consumer:

Contactless - beneficiary should not carry a printout of the voucher

Easy redemption - 2 step redemption process

Safe and Secure - Beneficiary doesn’t need to share personal details while redemption hence privacy is maintained

No digital or bank presence required - Consumer redeeming the voucher need not have a digital payment app or a bank account

Which banks are live with e-RUPI?

Axis Bank

Bank of Baroda

Canara Bank

HDFC Bank

ICICI Bank

IndusInd Bank

Indian Bank

Kotak Bank

Punjab National Bank

State Bank of India

Union Bank of India

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Delhi University registration for undergraduate courses starts today; check du.ac.in for details

The registration process for undergraduate courses of Delhi University is going to start from today, Monday, 2 August.

Aspirants can apply to the UG programmes offered at the university till Tuesday, 31 August. DU UG aspirants can visit the website du.ac.in to apply for the admissions 2021. Here are the steps that they can take to apply for the exam:

Step 1: Visit the website - du.ac.in
Step 2: On the homepage, click on Admissions 2021
Step 3: A new page will open. Click on Admission 2021 website option on the bottom right corner
Step 4: On the new page, click on UG Admission Portal
Step 5: Now enter your registration details to register for DU UG admissions 2021
Step 6: Once registered, fill in the application form and pay fee to submit your application
Step 7: Download your DU UG admission form
Step 8: Take a print out of the form and keep it safely for future reference

Documents including Class 10 and 12 certificates, passport-sized photograph, signature, income certificate, category certificate will be required for the admission process.

The admission process is for around 70,000 seats in various undergraduate courses of DU.

Aspirants will be given admission to their applied courses on the basis of cut off like previous years. The university is not going to conduct trials for students applying through sports or ECA quota because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their admission will be done on the basis of participation certificate or merit certificates. Aspirants will have to upload the certificates of the last four years.

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Bharat Biotech’s intranasal vaccine for COVID-19: Everything we know so far about BBV154

After releasing the results from Phase 2 human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in India, Bharat Biotech has now begun testing an intranasal vaccine in different parts of the country. The Phase I trial, according to the company, will take place in Patna, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Nagpur. The intranasal vaccine, called BBV154, is being tested to prevent infection and transmission of COVID-19. If the vaccinated individual is infected, the vaccine is also meant to prevent the progression of COVID-19 disease. Only time will tell if this vaccine will have the success Bharat Biotech's other COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, which was found 80.4 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 disease.

While the trials have begun, here is what you need to know about this new form of vaccine.

Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is working on the first intranasal vaccine for COVID-19 in India, in collaboration with Precision Virologics, a startup incubated at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, US. The vaccine was developed by Washington University professors David Curiel – a cancer biologist, and Michael Diamond – a viral immunologist, according to a St Louis Post Dispatch report.

The Phase I trial was conducted by the US startup at the University’s Vaccine & Treatment Evaluation Unit in St Louis. After this is completed, Bharat Biotech will also conduct trials in India. If both trials return favourable results, Bharat Biotech will subsequently manufacture the vaccine, having bought the rights to distribute the vaccine to all global markets except the USA, Japan and Europe.

More information on the technology that will be used and data from the animal studies have been published in the journal Cell, and in an editorial in Nature.

The results show that BBV154 provided "unprecedented levels of protection in mice studies."

The BBV154 intranasal vaccine

The most common ways for COVID-19 to spread is by air – either by larger droplets via close contact or by smaller droplets called aerosols. The SARS-CoV-2 virus generally enters the body via the nose. Intranasal vaccines are administered via the nose rather than injected into the skin. By conducting the vaccination in this way, the vaccine targets the virus present in the mucous in the nose, where the highest loads of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are also likely present.

The nasal vaccine can be given via a spray, a syringe with no needle or nose drops. According to a Times of India report, when the vaccine is administered with a nasal spray, it intercepts the virus locally (in the nose) and prompts the immune system to make proteins in the blood known as antibodies that can combat an infectious organism.

Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine is an adenovirus vector vaccine, made from a weakened version of the common cold virus that was originally sourced from chimpanzees. It has been modified to resemble and target the coronavirus. Along with the Covishield vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the Oxford University and manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Covaxin is being administered to Indians under a phased vaccination drive – the largest in the world.

According to the Nature report, during the animal trials, the mice who were given a single dose of the nasal vaccine were "fully protected from SARS-CoV-2 with virtually no sign of the virus in their upper or lower airways."

On the other hand, mice that were injected with the vaccine were only partially-protected.

The nasal vaccine has many advantages over an injection since it requires a single dose that is much smaller than for an injection, according to a St Louise Post report. A nasal vaccine will also be "easier to administer" since it involves spray and minimal training. It will also be beneficial for both children and adults who might be afraid of needles.

Clinical trials in India

India’s apex drug regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India (CDSCO), approved Bharat Biotech's planned Phase I and Phase II trials of the nasal vaccine last month. The subject expert committee (SEC) of CDSCO added a recommendation for the company to produce safety and immunogenicity data from a Phase I trial in 75 volunteers. That said, other reports have quoted a higher number – around 150-175 – volunteers in the Phase 1 study.

"A nasal vaccine candidate has been identified. It has come for consideration for phase 1 and phase 2 trials. If it works then it could be a game-changer," VK Paul, a Niti Aayog member (health) told the Indian Express.

Forty-two days after the nasal spray has been administered, an interim analysis will be conducted of results. To take part in the vaccine trials, the volunteer must be a healthy adult with no comorbidities and should not have been infected with COVID-19.

Trials have already begun in hospitals in Hyderabad, Nagpur, Patna and Chennai, sources told The Hindu Business Line.

 

Other nasal vaccines in development

Three other countries around the world are also conducting trials for intranasal vaccines. Along with India, a US company called Altimmune is developing a nasal spray called AdCOVID. It claims that the vaccine will be effective in preventing COVID-19 transmissions, especially in children. They have begun trials on a group of 180 volunteers with ages ranging from 18-55 years old.

In the UK, Codagenix's nasal vaccine, COVI-VAC, has entered Phase 1 clinical trials and 48 volunteers are being tested upon. The vaccine recognized the whole virus and not just the spike proteins. This vaccine is being developed in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India.

Not one to be left behind, China is also working on an intranasal vaccine. Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise along with Xiamen University and Hong Kong University are working together. The Phase I trial of this vaccine has been approved and began in November 2020. The intranasal spray is made up of weakened flu viruses such as H1N1, H3N2 and B with genetic segments of COVID-19’s Spike protein. 100 volunteers were enrolled in Phase 1 and it supposed to take a year to complete.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on 12 March, 2021, when Bharat Biotech started testing an intranasal vaccine across the country. On 1 August, an expert panel of India’s central drug authority recommended giving an approval to Bharat Biotech to carry out a study on interchangeability of its Covaxin and the under-trial intranasal vaccine candidate BBV154.

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Petrol and diesel prices unchanged for 16th day; here are fuel rates in your city today on 2 August 2021

Petrol prices remained unchanged in the country for the 16th day on Monday while diesel rates also did not go up. In Delhi, petrol prices remained at Rs 101.84 a litre while the rate of diesel was at Rs 89.87.

In Mumbai, petrol can be bought at Rs 107.83 per litre and diesel costs Rs 97.45 for one litre.

One litre of petrol is priced at Rs 102.49 in Chennai and diesel costs Rs 94.39 per litre in the city. Petrol in Kolkata costs Rs 102.08 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 93.02. While petrol can be bought at Rs 110.20 in Bhopal and diesel is priced at Rs 98.67 for one litre.

Since 4 May, fuel prices have been on the rise in the country after the assembly elections in states and union territories including West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Petrol and diesel prices are revised by the oil marketing companies including Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum. The new prices are implemented at 6 am every day. States and cities have different fuel prices because of the value-added taxes, local and freight charges which vary depending on the place.

Following are the prices of diesel and petrol in a few metros and Tier-II cities in the country:

1. Mumbai

Petrol - Rs 107.83 per litre
Diesel - Rs 97.45 per litre

2. Delhi

Petrol - Rs 101.84 per litre
Diesel - Rs 89.87 per litre

3. Chennai

Petrol - Rs 102.49 per litre
Diesel - Rs 94.39 per litre

4. Kolkata

Petrol - Rs 102.08 per litre
Diesel - Rs 93.02 per litre

5. Bhopal

Petrol - Rs 110.20 per litre
Diesel - Rs 98.67 per litre

6. Hyderabad

Petrol - Rs 105. 83 per litre
Diesel - Rs 97.96 per litre

7. Bangaluru

Petrol - Rs 105.25 per litre
Diesel - Rs 95.26 per litre

8. Guwahati

Petrol - Rs 97.64 per litre
Diesel - Rs 89.22 per litre

9. Lucknow

Petrol - Rs 98.92 per litre
Diesel - Rs 90.26 per litre

10. Gandhinagar

Petrol - Rs 98.79 per litre
Diesel - 96.95 per litre

11. Thiruvananthapuram

Petrol - Rs 103.82 per litre
Diesel - Rs 96.47 per litre

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Narendra Modi to be first Indian PM to preside over UNSC meeting, says ex-UN envoy Syed Akbaruddin

Akkbarudin said that in over 75 years, this was the first time Indian political leadership invested in presiding over an event of the UN body and that it depicted that the country's leadership wants to lead from the front

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to preside over a meeting during New Delhi's presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), said Syed Akbaruddin, India's former envoy to UN, on Sunday.

Speaking to India, Former Permanent Representative of India to UN, Akkbarudin said that in over 75 years, this was the first time Indian political leadership invested in presiding over an event of the 15-member UN body and that it depicted that the country's leadership wants to lead from the front.

"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian prime minister, who has decided to preside over a meeting of the United Nation Security Council. It shows that leadership wants to lead from the front. It also shows that India and its political leadership are invested in our foreign policy ventures," Akbaruddin, who is currently Dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy.

India on Sunday assumed the rotating presidency of the UNSC and will be hosting signature events related to maritime security, peacekeeping, and counterterrorism during the month.

Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and foreign secretary Harsh Shringla will also chair high-level meetings on topics of global importance.

"This is our eighth stint on the UNSC yet in the 75+years, this is the first time that our political leadership has invested in presiding over an event of the security council," Akbaruddin said.

"Although this is a virtual meeting, it's still a first meeting of the sort for us. It is historic. The last time an Indian PM was engaged in this effort was the then PM PV Narasimha Rao in 1992 when he attended a UNSC meeting," he added.

India took over the presidency from France. Ambassador of India to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti thanked France Permanent Representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, for steering the UN Security Council for the month of July.

"India has just assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on 1 August. India and France enjoy historical and close relations. I thank France for all the support which they've given us during our stint in the Security Council," Tirumurti said in a video message.

During our presidency, India said it is organising three high-level signature meetings focussing on our priority areas--maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.

India will also be organising a solemn event in memory of peacekeepers.

Tirumurti apprised that the UN Security Council will also have on its agenda several important meetings including Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and the Middle East.

Security Council will also be adopting important resolutions on Somalia, Mali, and UN Interim Force in Lebanon, he added.

This is India's first presidency in the UNSC during its 2021-22 tenure as a non permanent member of the UNSC. The two-year tenure of India as a non-permanent member of the UNSC began on 1 January, 2021.

The first working day of India's presidency will be on Monday, 2 August when Tirumurti will hold a hybrid press briefing in the UN headquarters on the Council's programme of work for the month.

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Amit Shah in UP: Home minister lauds CM on law and order, says BJP to form govt again with 'vast majority'

Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, home minister Amit Shah Sunday lauded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for taking the state to the top spot with regard to the law and order situation and said the economy grew two-fold in the last four years of his tenure.

Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences in Lucknow, Shah said BJP governments work for the development of the poorest people.

'Adityanath took Uttar Pradesh to top spot'

"For six years till 2019, I travelled a lot in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, I know the earlier Uttar Pradesh very well. There was an atmosphere of fear in western Uttar Pradesh because of which people were leaving the area, women felt unsafe, the land mafia was grabbing the land of the poor people, incidents of firing in broad daylight and riots were rampant, Shah said.

In 2017, the BJP promised that we will make Uttar Pradesh a developed state and also revamp its law and order. Today in 2021, I can say with pride that Yogi Adityanath and his team have taken UP to the top spot in terms of law and order, he added.

Shah said, BJP governments do not work on the basis of caste, families, or for the people who are close to them. The BJP governments work for the development of the poorest person and to revamp law and order.

Adityanath along with the Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were present at the event.

Terming the chief minister as yashasvi (glorious) and safal (successful), Shah credited him for effectively implementing development and welfare schemes in the state.

"Today, in 44 development schemes, UP is on the top spot in the country. Making schemes is very easy, but implementing them, removing the intermediaries, and ensuring the benefits reach the beneficiaries without any bribe is very tough," he said.

'Uttar Pradesh's economy grew two-fold'

"Uttar Pradesh has made developments in every sector -- be it industrial investment, successful implementation of schemes, law and order, loan waiver and purchasing crops of poor farmers, sending money directly to the account of farmers, making toilets in houses, giving homes to the homeless, giving gas cylinders to 1.47 crore households among others," Shah said.

"In every sector, Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath has done very good work. The economy of the state grew from Rs 11 lakh crore to Rs 22 lakh crore in four years, and has become number two in the country," he added.

Shah also praised the Uttar Pradesh government for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted that the maximum vaccinations and tests were done in the state.

"Under the leadership of Modi ji, the BJP governments are working towards public welfare with sensitivity, and Uttar Pradesh is ahead of all. I believe that for this transformation, the great public of Uttar Pradesh had given an opportunity to the BJP to administer by giving more than 300 seats, he said.

We had promised that the government will not be for a particular caste or family, it will be for everyone. And, today, I can say that we have moved ahead significantly," Shah said.

'BJP will return to power in UP with vast majority'

Hitting out at the Opposition, Shah said the number of leaders who become active only after elections are announced, is the highest in Uttar Pradesh.

"They were not seen during the floods or COVID-19 crisis. At the time, when it was needed to waive off the loans of farmers, they were busy in mauj-masti (fun and frolic). They wear new clothes at the time of elections and come out," he said.

Those who are dreaming (of winning the election) should brace themselves for another huge defeat. The BJP is going to form the government with a huge majority," he added.

Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said, "Owing to the prevailing law and order at the time of Akhilesh Yadav's rule, the investors' meet had to be held outside Uttar Pradesh in Delhi.

'Police should move in direction of just action'

The home minister also said that policing had changed over the years with the advent of problems related to fake currency, cybercrime, narco terrorism etc. "The police force needs to be better trained and we need a special manpower for investigations," he said.

Shah further pointed out that police is blamed for either inaction or extreme action. "The police need to focus on just action," he added.

"I often say that police get defamed due to two reasons: one is no action, and the second is extreme action. No action is not right as indolence cannot rectify the law and order system. And extreme is also not correct as it triggers reaction. So, the police should come out of no action and extreme action, and move in the direction of just action," he said.

Shah said the institute along with the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar will help the police move ahead in the direction of natural action.

With inputs from agencies

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CBSE 10th Result 2021: Board likely to be declare results next week at cbseresults.nic.in; check key details here

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is likely to announce the results of Class 10 exams 2021 next week, according to media several reports.

While reports suggested that the Class 10 results would be declared on 2 August at the official website cbseresults.nic.in, the board is yet make any official announcement regarding date and time of CBSE 10th Result 2021.

For Class 12 exams too, the results of which were declared on 31 July, CBSE announced the date and time a few hours ahead of declaration.

Steps on to check CBSE 10th result 2021

Step 1: Visit the official website at cbse.gov.in
Step 2: Click on the link that says 'CBSE Class 10th Result 2021'
Step 3: Enter roll number, school or centre number and admit card ID
Step 4: Hit 'Submit' button
Step 5: Your CBSE 10th Result 2021 will be displayed on the screen.
Step 6: Download your scorecard and keep a printout of the same for future use

Where to check Class 10 results

Apart from the offical websites of CBSE,  cbse.nic.in, cbseresults.nic.in, results can also be accessed via government platform digilocker.gov.in. Students can also check their scores through the UMANG app, which is available for android, iOS, and windows-based smartphones, or umang.gov.in.

Evaluation criteria

• Students will be evaluated based on their performance throughout the year and the previous year's performance.
• As per the evaluation criteria, of the total 100 marks for each subject, 20 marks will be given as per the usual practice, the remaining 80 marks for which the board usually holds theory exams, 10 marks for periodic/unit test, 30 marks for half-yearly/ mid-term exams, and 40 marks for pre-board exams.
• This will be the first time that CBSE is declaring results without holding examinations.
• This year, more than 21.5 lakh students appeared for CBSE Class 10 exams.

Pass criteria

• Candidates need to secure a minimum of 33 percent in order to get a passing certificate from the board.
• As the evaluation is being done on the basis of the previous year's performance and internal assessment method, the board has instructed the schools to give grace marks to students if they are unable to obtain the minimum passing percent.

What about private students?

The Delhi High Court on Sunday granted time to the CBSE to respond to a plea concerning the methodology of assessment of private Class 10 students after the examination was canceled on account of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.

Justice Prateek Jalan, hearing a petition moved by the mother of a private class 10 student, passed the order after time was sought by the counsel for the CBSE.

In her petition, Payal Bahl has submitted that while students have been declared "pass" after the announcement of the cancellation of examinations, CBSE has not issued any notification regarding its policy on how marks are to be awarded to private students.

CBSE's attitude towards the students who are privately enrolled in the Class 10 examination is "prima facie violative of the Article 14 of the Constitution of India" and takes away "their equal opportunity of proceeding with further education", she contended.

It is highlighted that CBSE has already notified that the assessment of regular class 10 students was to be based on internal assessment.

With inputs from PTI

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