The Evening Wrap: CoWIN upgraded to accept 1 crore registrations

The Hindu Newsletter - The biggest news stories from today [logo] The Evening Wrap Sunday | 28 March, 2021 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( CoWIN upgraded to accept 1 crore registrations a day India’s CoWIN portal, for COVID-19 vaccine registration, has been [ramped up to accept on one crore registrations and record vaccination of 50 lakh persons per day](, R.S. Sharma, Chairman, Empowered Group on COVID vaccination told The Hindu on Sunday. Mr Sharma explained that the system has been geared up to accommodate the registration rush and vaccination load anticipated from April 1 when vaccination will be offered for anyone 45 years and above. The system shows a registration of over 6 crore beneficiaries as on Sunday. [ The system has been geared up to accommodate the registration rush and vaccination load anticipated from April 1 when vaccination will be offered for anyone 45 years and above. ] “Upgrading the system is a continuous process and with the increase in load, the system has been acclimatized to take on the load that is expected. We have seen the trends so far and the number of people seeking the vaccine has grown. The system is operating at four levels — the one that is open to public (for registration), the verification level, platform management (open to hospitals giving the vaccine) and the certificate generation,” Mr Sharma said. Stating that this “hundred per cent government run” system is equipped to offer privacy, Mr. Sharma, however, admitted that there are reports of errors in registration from several parts of the country. “During self-registration and spot registration we are seeking only three basic information — name, gender and year of birth. We expect that this will be provided correctly by the beneficiaries,” he said. Mr. Sharma added that currently CoWIN does not schedule the second dose vaccination appointment automatically and beneficiaries are to schedule this as per the recommended gap between the two doses of the vaccine. Seven States — Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are reporting high numbers of daily Covid cases. These States account for 81.46% of the daily new cases registered in the last 24 hours, a statement issued by the Health Ministry on Sunday said. It added that Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 35,726, followed by Chhattisgarh with 3,162 while Karnataka reported 2,886 new cases. [underlineimg] Prepare for lockdown if rules aren’t being followed, says Maharashtra CM Amid a massive surge of cases in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asked officials to prepare [a plan to impose a lockdown](, saying people were not following safety rules. The decision was taken at a meeting attended by Mr Thackeray, Health Minister Rajesh Tope, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, doctors of the COVID-19 task force and other officials, according to an official statement said. Officials and members of the task force expressed concerns over the rising number of cases, while the Chief Minister said the state may also face a healthcare crisis and see a shortage of infrastructure for treating COVID-19 patients. [underlineimg] BJP will win 26 of 30 seats in Bengal, 37 of 47 seats in Assam in Phase 1 polling: Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed on March 28 that the [BJP would win more than 26 seats in the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal](. He said women from West Bengal have voted for the party in large numbers. Polling for 30 Assembly seats n West Bengal took place on March 27. Mr. Shah also claimed that BJP will win more than 37 out of 47 Assembly seats in Assam that went to the polls on March 27. “First phase of polls in two States concluded yesterday. I want to thank people in both the States that they voted in favour of BJP in huge numbers. 84% polling in West Bengal and 79% polling in Assam shows the huge enthusiasm of voters. The two States were earlier known for poll violence but polling was peaceful this time. No one was killed,” Mr. Shah said at a press conference held at his residence in Delhi on March 28. “We will win more than 26 seats out of 30 seats polled yesterday in West Bengal, vote share will also increase. In Assam also we will win more than 37 seats. The voting pattern reflects that people want a protest-free Assam, development-prone Assam. Assam has realised the importance of double engine government,” he said. He said West Bengal has been afflicted with appeasement politics and unfettered illegal migration. “The funds for development work was usurped by political parties, the kind of mismanagement during COVID-19 and Amphan was seen... After 27-year communist rule, it was felt that some transformation will come, however nothing changed under Didi [West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee]. Bengal can develop, without appeasement a government can run, all can get religious freedom,” he said. When asked about the high-voltage contest at Nandigram between Ms. Banerjee and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, Mr. Shah said, “Nothing special about Nandigram, it is just a seat for us, but if Nandigram does it then transformation will come. The maa maati maanush (TMC slogan) promises have been proved hollow,” he said. [underlineimg] Mamata to attend 7 public meetings, 2 roadshows in 3 days as battle for Nandigram heats up In the high-stakes battle of Nandigram Assembly constituency that goes to the poll on April 1, West Bengal Chief Minister [Mamata Banerjee will camp for three days]( beginning from Sunday addressing seven public meetings and two roadshows. She is facing her erstwhile protege and now rebel Suvendu Adhikari who joined BJP on the eve of the election, leaving her usual constituency of Bhabanipur. The contest is also for the ownership of the Nandigram agitation against land acquisition by the then Left Front government in 2008-09. Mr. Adhikari was the local Trinamool Congress face of the movement. [ West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend seven public meetings and two road shows in 3 days. ] Her three-day halt in Nandigram constituency will begin with a visit to the Reyapura Shib Mandir Dol Mela at 4.00 p.m. on Sunday followed by a public meeting. Monday and Tuesday are heavy days for her with three public rallies and one roadshow each day. The idea is to cover the length and breadth of the Assembly constituency. The BJP is also pulling all stops. Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday, the last day of campaigning. Ms. Banerjee’s camping in Nandigram for three days has given her political opponent ammunition to question her party’s confidence in the Assembly poll. The BJP already has been running a campaign about Trinamool's “nervousness” regarding Nandigram releasing the audio tape where the Chief Minister is reportedly asking for help from Proloy Pal, BJP’s district vice-president in Nandigram. “Mamata Banerjee has always said that she is the candidate from all 294 seats. The fact that she is spending three days in Nandigram betrays her nervousness. Right now, it seems her only priority is to win Nandigram,” said Dinesh Trivedi, a founding member of the Trinamool who joined the BJP last month. The TMC, however, says that this is not very unusual and every candidate does this. “It is a pointless argument to ask why she is spending three days in a constituency where she is contesting from. Had she not gone, then these very people would have claimed that she is ignoring Nandigram,” party leader Saugata Roy said. [underlineimg] India-U.S. begin two day naval exercise India and the U.S. on March 28 [kicked off a two-day naval exercise]( in the eastern Indian Ocean region, reflecting the growing congruence in their defence and military partnership. The Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the ‘PASSEX’ exercise while the U.S. Navy was represented by the USS Theodore Rosevelt carrier strike group, officials said. A carrier battle group or carrier strike group is a mega naval fleet comprising an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a large number of destroyers, frigates and other ships. [ Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters were also included in the naval exercise affording the IAF an opportunity to practice Air Interception/Air Defence with the U.S. Navy, close to Indian coast on March 28, 2021. Photo: Twitter/@indiannavy ] “In a first, enhancing jointmanship, Indian Air Force fighters were also included in the exercise affording the IAF an opportunity to practice air interception and air defence with the U.S. Navy,” a spokesperson of the Indian Navy said. The exercise came over a week after U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin flew into India as part of his three-nation first overseas tour that signalled the Joe Biden administration’s strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The officials said the exercise began on March 28 and will conclude on March 29. The spokesperson said the exercise is aimed at consolidating the synergy and interoperability achieved during the Malabar exercise that took place in November last. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 1,19,83,965 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 1,63,085. [underlineimg] In Brief A push for Statehood status for Puducherry, inclusion of the UT in the 15th Central Finance Commission and waiver of legacy loans forms the main planks of the [Congress election manifesto]( released on Sunday. The manifesto, which envisages concessions cutting across sectors such as industry, education, fishermen welfare and agriculture, was launched by Congress leaders V. Narayanasamy, former Chief Minister, V. Vaithilingam MP and Veerappa Moily, AICC observer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi [defended his prescription for honouring the frontline health workers]( during the initial days of the lockdown with measures such as banging steel utensils, clapping and lighting a lamp, saying that these went a long way in keeping the spirits up in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking during the 75th edition of ‘Mann ki Baat’ that started in October 2014, Mr. Modi said that these expressions of respecting the ‘Corona warriors’ kept them going. “You cannot imagine how much it had touched the hearts of Corona warriors…and that is the very reason they resolutely held on the whole year, without tiring, without halting. Steadfastly, they endured to save the life of each and every citizen of the country,” he said. [underlineimg] Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today's Top Picks [[Krish Ashok. 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