22 lakh people affected by fever in Kerala; 420 deaths: Govt

Agencies
August 10, 2017

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10:  The Kerala government today said 420 people died and over 22 lakh persons were affected by various kinds of fever in the state since January.

Health Minister KK Shylaja informed the state Assembly that of the total deaths due to fever, 74 people died due to H1N1 and 24 persons to dengue.

Replying to a notice seeking adjournment motion by Congress-led UDF opposition over the issue, she said climate change and unprecedented variations in temperature level were among reasons that caused the fever to spread.

"As per government figures, over 22 lakh people have been affected by viral fever in the state during the period. As many as 420 people succumbed to fever across the state," she said.

But with effective steps taken, things are now under control, the minister said.

However, disputing the official figures on people affected by fever and deaths caused, Mr Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan from the Congress party, alleged that over 1000 people had died and a whopping 50 lakh people had sought treatment for fever in various hospitals, including private ones, in the state.

The situation in the state was so grave that it even warranted the declaration of "health emergency," UDF members said and walked out of the House when Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan declined leave for debate over the issue.

The Health minister said besides H1N1 and dengue, rat fever and cholera have also been reported in the state. A cholera death was reported in Pathanamthitta district and three cholera cases had been detected among migrant labourers in Kozhikode, she said.

However, no case of monkey fever, which used to be prevalent during the monsoon season in earlier years, was reported in Kerala this year, Ms Shylaja added.

Opposition leader Mr Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the government had failed to take up any pre-monsoon sanitation drive and that led to the spurt in fever cases in the state.

If necessary, the state should seek the assistance of medical experts from the Centre to tackle the situation, he said.

"Health Emergency should be declared in the state as the situation is grave," Mr Chennithala said.

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News Network
May 3,2020

Bengaluru, May 3: The Excise Commissioner of Karnataka has issued an order granting permission to distilleries, breweries and wineries situated outside the containment zones to begin production activity. The permission has been granted on the condition that they strictly comply with COVID-19 related guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"In view of the state government order and the new guidelines issued by the MHA, permission is granted to distilleries, breweries and wineries situated in rural areas and industrial estates and industrial townships with access control (outside containment zones) to commence only production activity," the Excise Commissioner said in the order.

The Excise Commissioner further said in the order that the Deputy Commissioner of Excise shall ensure that wherever distilleries, breweries and wineries are permitted to carry on production activities, they shall strictly comply with COVID-19 related guidelines issued by the MHA.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 10: Education technology company Byju’s is learnt to have raised $200 million in a funding round from Tiger Global Management, which has valued the Bengaluru-based start-up at around $8 billion, making it the third-largest unicorn (start-up valued over $1 billion) in the country.

With this, the Byju Raveendran-founded company has seen over 50 per cent jump in its valuation in just around nine months. In March 2019, Byju’s was valued $5.4 billion, when it raised around $31 million from General Atlantic, and Chinese investment giant Tencent.

At the current valuation, Byju’s has now replaced home-grown cab-hailing major Ola as the third-largest unicorn, next only to Paytm and OYO, which are valued around $16 billion and $10 billion, respectively.

Byju’s confirmed the transaction through a press statement, though the company declined to share any specific details of the deal. Tiger Global could not be immediately reached for its comments.

“We are happy to partner with a strong investor like Tiger Global Management. They share our sense of purpose and this partnership will advance our long-term vision of creating an impact by changing the way students learn,” said Raveendran. “This partnership is both a validation of the impact created by us so far and a vote of confidence for our long-term vision.”

This is Tiger Global’s first investment in the edutech space in India after Vendantu, an online tutoring platform, where it, along with WestBridge Capital, led a $42-million round in August.

An early backer of India’s internet growth story, the New York-headquartered Tiger Global has been a prolific investor in the Indian start-up space. Its portfolio in the country ranges from consumer focused e-commerce companies that are vital for the growth of the sector, such as Flipkart, Delhivery, Grofers, Quikr and PolicyBazaar, to mention a few.

After tasting success with Flipkart, one of its earliest investments, where it had pumped in around $1 billion, the PE major is now doubling down its focus on the Indian start-up space, under its new investment head Scott Shleifer.

Shleifer, who set up international private equity practice for Tiger Global, is said to be as aggressive deal maker like his predecessor Lee Fixel, who left the investment firm in March. Since then, Tiger has also invested in a host of technology-focused companies in diverse sectors including Ninjacart, CRED, NoBroker and Facilio to mention a few.

“Byju’s has emerged as the leader in the Indian education-tech sector. They are pioneering technology shaping the future of learning for millions of school students in India,” Shleifer was quoted in the press statement issued by the edutech firm.

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News Network
April 4,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 4: No positive case of coronavirus has been detected in Dakshina Kannada district as per the latest update released by the district administration on Friday.

Test results of throat swab samples of 16 people with suspected symptoms were received today and all of them were negative.

A total of 38,518 people have been screened for coronavirus in Dakshina Kannada district till date with 72 people being screened today.

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