Madison Square goes mad over Modi

New York, Sept 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told a rapturous crowd of NRIs that Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders will get lifetime Indian visa and that American tourists will be given visa on arrival.

Madison Modi Modi, who arrived at the packed Madison Square Garden to a rousing welcome, announced the merger of PIO and Overseas Citizens of India schemes to facilitate hassle-free travel to the Indian diaspora.

He announced that PIO cardholders staying in India on long-term basis will no longer have to report to the local police station.

At the unique event in the heart of Manhattan attended by some 20,000 cheering NRIs, Modi said that his big win in the Lok Sabha elections had come with a big responsibility for him which he would fulfil. Modi affirmed that India will move ahead at a rapid pace and lead the 21st century world.

Listing out India's advantages, the prime minister said that its three strengths were democracy, demographic dividend in which 65 per cent of its population was under 35 years, and the demand for India because it was a huge market. “My effort is to make development a mass movement. I am confident that we will succeed. This country is going to make rapid progress.

“There are many expectations from the new government. This government will be 100 per cent successful in fulfilling the aspirations of people,” he said amid loud cheers.

“My dream is to see every Indian family has a home by 2022,” he said.

Clearly with an eye on the younger generation, Modi said, “We will not do anything which will let you down.”

Attired in a saffron Nehru jacket and yellow kurta, the prime minister held the packed indoor stadium spellbound, asserting that “our attempt is to make development a people's movement.”

In his 75-minute-long speech in Hindi which he began with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” while extending greetings for Navratri festival, Modi promised good governance, saying that after a gap of 30 years India has got a government at the Centre with a clear majority.

He also had a jibe at poll predictions in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. “No political pundit or opinion-maker could fathom such a verdict,” he said.

“Winning elections is not about any post or chair. It's a responsibility. Since taking over (as prime minister), I have not even taken a 15-minute vacation,” he said.

“You may not have voted in 2014 but I am sure that when the results were coming, you didn't sleep and you all celebrated,” he told the NRIs.

Promising a fast pace of development, Modi said, “There is no reason to be disappointed. India will progress very fast and the skills of our youth will take India ahead.”

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Italian researchers claim world’s first COVID-19 vaccine: Report

Agencies

May 6,2020

Italian researchers have claimed that they have successfully developed a vaccine to contain coronavirus (COVID-19) which is likely to work on humans, a report said.

Luigi Aurisicchio, CEO of Takis, the firm developing the medication, said that a coronavirus candidate vaccine has neutralised the virus in human cells for the first time, the Arab News reported.

"This is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy. Human tests are expected after this summer," Aurisicchio was quoted as saying to Italian news agency ANSA.

"According to the Spallanzani Hospital, as far as we know we are the first in the world so far to have demonstrated neutralisation of the coronavirus by a vaccine. We expect this to happen in humans too," he added.

The researchers experimented with the vaccine on mice that had successfully developed antibodies that blocked the virus from infecting the cells. They further observed that the five vaccine candidates generated a large number of antibodies, and selected two with the best results.

All of the vaccine candidates currently being developed are based on the genetic material of DNA protein "spike", the molecular tip used by the coronavirus to enter human cells.

They are injected with the so-called "electroporation" technique, which consists of an intramuscular injection followed by a brief electrical impulse, helping the vaccine break into the cells and activating the immune system, the report said.

Researchers believe that this makes their vaccine particularly effective for generating functional antibodies against the "spike" protein, in particular in the lung cells, which are the most vulnerable to coronavirus.

"We are working hard for a vaccine coming from Italian research, with an all-Italian and innovative technology, tested in Italy and made available to everyone," Aurisicchio was quoted by the Arab News report.

"In order to reach this goal, we need the support of national and international institutions and partners who may help us speed up the process," he noted.

The total number of COVID-19 infections, fatalities and recoveries since the pandemic began has risen to 213,013 in the country.

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