Wayanad tragedy: Tourism's role

'ഒഡീഷയിൽ നിന്ന് വയനാട്ടിലെത്തിയ ‍ഡോക്ടർമാരിൽ ഒരാൾ കാണാമറയത്ത്, പ്രതിശ്രുത വധു വെന്റിലേറ്ററിൽ' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eNJhArSge8 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/wayanad-landslides-factors-nature-man-made-kerala-western-ghats-disaster-prone-climate-change-sea-warming-2574272-2024-07-31 Not just nature's fury, man's greed too behind Wayanad tragedy Climate change is resulting in towering cumulonimbus clouds over Kerala that bring sudden bursts of heavy rainfall. Around 50% of Kerala is on slopes of more than 20 degrees and has loose topsoil. Add to these construction activities in vulnerable areas, and you have a tragedy, like in Wayanad, waiting to strike. A ropeway being used to shift an injured person to a hospital after landslides hit several villages in Kerala's Wayanad district. (PTI Photo) Not too far from the serene Edakkal Caves and the majestic Soochipara Falls in Kerala, where tourists flock to seek peace and tranquillity, and embrace pristine nature, a disaster struck in the early hours of Tuesday. The idyllic landscape of Kerala's Wayanad turned into a scene of chaos and despair. At least 150 people lost their lives. In the dead of night, two hours past midnight, a series of massive landslides unleashed their fury upon several villages of north Kerala's Wayanad district. If the initial onslaught in the dark wasn't devastating enough, relentless heavy rains on Tuesday morning compounded the chaos. It severely hampered the rescue efforts. The catastrophic landslides left a harrowing trail of destruction and death, claiming at least 150 lives. Hundreds lie severely injured in hospitals, while countless others remain missing, trapped beneath the debris. For now, the survivors cling to hope as rescue teams battle to save the remaining people. The tragedy in Wayanad, the latest in a series of natural calamities in Kerala such as landslides, floods, and flash floods in recent years, has raised pressing questions about the role of climate change and human activities in exacerbating such disasters. In July 2022, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed the Lok Sabha that Kerala had seen the highest number of major landslides in the country over the past seven years. Of the 3,782 landslides recorded between 2015 and 2022, approximately 59.2%, or 2,239, occurred in God's Own Country. In 2018, devastating floods in Kerala killed over 400 people across the state. In 2021, dozens perished due to multiple landslides and floods in Kerala's Kottayam and Idukki districts. Additionally, rain-related incidents such as landslides and flash floods claimed many lives in 2022, with the Climate Report of India, of the India Meteorological Department saying that extreme weather events claimed 32 lives in Kerala that year. Between 1961 and 2016, landslides claimed 295 lives, according to S Sreekumar, a disaster risk consultant, reported Frontline magazine. As scientists and experts delve deeper into the causes, a combination of natural and human factors emerge as clear contributors to the devastating pattern that engulfs Kerala every year. Climate change and altering global weather patterns is another alarming factor that adds to their plight. TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL MAKE KERALA VULNERABLE Wayanad, with its unique topography, is particularly vulnerable to landslides. Around 50% of Kerala's terrain is characterised by slopes of more than 20 degrees, making it prone to soil erosion and landslides, according to a report by the Kerala State Planning Board. The loose topsoil on rocks in these areas further exacerbates the risk. "An increase in rainfall intensity may suggest a rising probability of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats in eastern Kerala during the monsoon seasons," S Abhilash, the director of Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) told news agency PTI. When heavy rainfall hits the slopes, the soil becomes saturated, leading to devastating landslides like the one recently witnessed in Wayanad. HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVE WORSENED SITUATION IN KERALA Given the region of north Kerala is an ecological hotspot, tourism has thrived over the years too. Human activity, particularly construction of hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts in the vulnerable areas, have significantly contributed to the tragedy. "A lot of construction activities are happening in our state [Kerala] in vulnerable areas. We built more roads and culverts. However, even now, our engineering structures are being built based on the amount of rainfall and intensity of rainfall in older days. There is a need to rethink new or added risk factors while constructing roads or culverts. We are not providing room for the river in many places and this is an important factor for flash floods. Our unscientific construction mechanisms are major causes of the destruction we are facing," Dr S Sreekumar, a Kerala-based disaster risk expert, told The Week magazine. Girish Gopinath, the head of the department of climate variability and aquatic ecosystems at Cochin's KUFOS told The New Indian Express that "human activities on the periphery of the high ranges of Wayand and Idukki are a major factor contributing to landslides". Calling the Wayanad Disaster "a man-made tragedy", Sajnu Verma, a National Spokesperson of BJP, wrote on X, that it was a result of "forests, hills, trees being cut rampantly to make way for lodges, resorts and hotels". "The Wayanad landslide is also a grim reminder of illegal quarrying in the region," he alleged. The rapid growth of infrastructure has led to the destabilisation of topsoil. This, combined with the natural instability of the terrain, has created a perfect storm for landslides. CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS TO BOILING CAULDRON Climate Change, the most pressing challenge that the human race faces now, has also added to the tragedy. Due to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds over Kerala, enabled by the warming of the southeast Arabian Sea, it has made the region "thermodynamically unstable", according to S Abhilash, a Cochin-based climate scientist. "This atmospheric instability, allowing the formation of deep clouds, is linked to climate change. Earlier, this kind of rainfall was more common in the northern Konkan belt, north of Mangalore," Abhilash told news agency PTI. With climate change, that rain-bearing belt with deep clouds is extending southward and this is the main reason behind such extremely heavy rainfall, he said. These clouds are known for their ability to bring sudden and intense bursts of heavy rainfall, and the increased frequency and severity of such weather events are a direct consequence of rising global temperatures. The current warming trend is unequivocally the result of human activities since the 1950s and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over millennia, says Nasa, the American space research body. A DECADE OF MADHAV GADGIL REPORT AND INACTION The Madhav Gadgil Committee Report, recommended that 64% of the Western Ghats be designated as ecologically sensitive zones. The report specifically highlighted the need to protect Kerala's highly sensitive areas, which were marked for no-development, and criticised the state government for ignoring these recommendations. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-wayanad-landslide-died-308-people-tourist-problem-hotels-resorts-ecologically-fragile-area-2575708-2024-08-02 Paradise lost to tourism: Greed behind Wayanad landslide tragedy? Tourism accounts for 10% of Kerala's economy. The state has promoted itself as a tourist destination, which has resulted in rising footfalls over the years. Wayanad, too, saw rampant construction of buildings and resorts in eco-sensitive areas. The landslides in Wayand that killed over 300 are a reminder that a balance needs to be struck. As tourism is rapidly increasing in Wayanad, it is causing environmental degradation and leading to an increase in landslides. (Image: Getty) Priyanjali Narayan Priyanjali Narayan New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 2, 2024 17:09 IST In Short Between 1961 and 2016, landslides claimed over 295 lives in Kerala Experts say rise in tourism responsible for environmental degradation People are asking why so many resorts, hotels were allowed in Wayanad Beneath a canopy of green and glow, where emerald backwater drifts, is God's own country, Kerala. The beauty and calm associated with Kerala was shattered by a landslide in Wayanad which has claimed the lives of 308 people. This is not the only instance of a landslide in the state. In 2021, several people were killed in landslides in Kerala's Kottayam and Idukki districts. Kerala also experienced catastrophic flooding in 2018, which killed over 400 people. But why is Kerala facing such disasters which are taking the lives of many? Is tourism, one of Kerala's biggest sources of income, to blame for the recent landslide? A cloudburst washed away houses and trapped people. The first landslide struck in Meppani, Mundakkai Town and Chooral Mala. A nearby bridge used to enter Attamala in Mundakkai also collapsed. Experts have had no doubts that what happened in Wayanad is a man-made disaster. One important factor contributing to this is the rapid movement of tourists in Kerala. This has led to the building of resorts and hotels in Kerala. This rampant construction comes at a price. Between 1961 and 2016, landslides killed over 295 people in Kerala, according to S Sreekumar, a disaster risk consultant, reported Frontline magazine. Areas suffering from landslides are ecologically fragile and are overwhelmed by tourism efforts and deforestation. This has led to landslides and floods in several areas of Kerala. RAPID INCREASE OF TOURISTS IN KERALA RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAGEDY Kerala has promoted itself vigorously for tourism and seen a jump in tourist footfalls. According to Kerala Tourism Statistics, 1,88,67,414 domestic tourists visited Kerala in 2022 and 75, 37,617 in 2021. It was 150% growth year-on-year. Tourism contributes about 10% to Kerala's economy or its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). It also creates jobs and promotes traditional industries. This large number of tourists come to Kerala each year due to its beaches, hill stops and backwaters. With a rapid increase in tourism, human activity, particularly construction of hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts (B&B) in high risk areas, have significantly contributed to these disasters which take the lives of many. Several experts have discussed how tourism in the ecologically fragile area has contributed to the landslides claiming the lives of many. "We deeply mourn the tragic deaths in the Wayanad landslide/mudslides in Kerala. However, it may not be too early to ask whether indiscriminate construction, especially related to tourism, in this eco-fragile region was the cause of this disaster, or was it just unprecedented rain?", tweeted KBS Sidhu, an ex-IAS officer. According to a research paper on the impact of tourism on Wayanad by Philip Varghese and Yoji Natori, the emergence of tourism in the area has led to the decline of traditional livelihoods and contributed to environmental degradation. "The emergence of tourism coincided with the decline of traditional livelihoods in Wayanad, exacerbating environmental degradation. Overcrowding in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries disturbs wildlife, while uncontrolled construction for tourism exacerbates residents’ concerns," mentions the paper. They also found out how the agricultural land was being converted into hotels and resorts. Skyscraper flats were also constructed illegally in the ecologically fragile areas of Vythiri and Kalpetta. Tourism-linked indiscriminate construction has also led to an agrarian crisis and increasing man-animal conflict. The variety of traditional crops which can offer resilience to climate change are not encouraged any more. This has made agriculture unsustainable. It is also leading to a rise in human-animal conflicts in the area. The paper reveals that since 2014, 149 deaths have been recorded in the area due to these conflicts. In 2022-23, 98 such deaths were recorded along with 8,873 attacks. Between 2017-23, 20,957 incidents of crop damage due to wildfire have been reported, resulting in a loss of over 1,000 animals. PEOPLE SPEAK UP ABOUT WAYANAD'S TOURISM PROBLEM The Kerala Tourism site says Wayanad is famous for its camping and hiking trails, breathtaking waterfalls, caves and bird-watching sites. The area, it says, has been a tourist favourite over the years. People who have visited Wayanad recently realise how the ecological balance is being disturbed by tourism and construction. "Sad to see this. Even as a layman, whenever I visited Wayanad, I always worried about the ecological balance being disturbed by tourism and construction. Now understand there was an expert report on this. Sad!," tweeted D Prasanth Nair, an HR professional who visited Wayanad. Wayanad has become the favourite spot of tourists now. This comes with consequences for the ecologically fragile region. "Earlier, when you searched travel sites about Kerala tourism, we used to see more of Allepy Munnar Thekkady. Nowadays, search results are flooded with Wayanad resorts! That tells the story of exploitation in a fragile environment !!," tweeted Chegunta Domadar Reddy about the landslide. People also questioned how these resorts and hotels get government clearance. "No idea who gives environmental clearances. The entire Vythiri belt there are multiple adventure / amusement parks that have cropped up, anything from a glass bridge to a copycat of Bali swing. 18–20 years ago, tourism in Wayanad was nature+culture. Foreign tourists visited to watch the rain," tweeted another user on X. Rapid tourism growth in Wayanad became detrimental to the life and livelihoods of the people there. Though Kerala's economy depends on tourism, it will need to strike a balance between its needs and ecological safety.

Muziris Museums

https://www.muzirisheritage.org/

Muziris Heritage Project Museums

KERALA JEWS HISTORY MUSEUM 

One among the largest synagogues in Kerala, the Paravur Synagogue built in 1615, now features a museum of early Jewish life in Kerala.

KERALA JEWS LIFE STYLE MUSEUM 

Constructed in the 17th century, the Chendamangalam Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in Kerala now houses a museum of early Jewish life.

PALIAM PALACE MUSEUM

The traditional home of Paliathu Achans, Paliam Kovilakam a two storey building far ahead of its times now houses a museum on Kerala history.

PALIAM NALUKETTU MUSEUM 

Paliam Nalukettu, a typical self contained Malayali house has been converted into Kerala Lifestyle Museum featuring a choicest collection of articles.

SAHODARAN AYYAPPAN MUSEUM

The Sahodaran Ayyappan Museum is a fresh combination of interactive and traditional exhibitions representing a truly authentic experience.

ABDUL RAHMAN SAHIB MUSEUM

This museum showcases the sacrifices and achievements of Mohammed Abdul Rahman Sahib as a social reformer as well as freedom fighter.

KESARI BALAKRISHNA MUSEUM

This is the erstwhile home of Kesari Balakrisha Pillai situated on the back street of North Paravur where he lived and worked from 1943 to 1960.

ISLAMIC HISTORY MUSEUM

The Islamic History Museum has been set up in the Cheraman Juma Masjid complex.

 

Other Museums

The museums being planned for the renaissance phase of the Muziris Heritage Project are the kind to be included among the 'new generation museums' of the world. The museums in the Paravur - Kodungallur region of Kerala will create an ideal learning environment especially for students of history and archaeology.

• Site Museum in Pattanam, 
• Museum on Christian Religious Art & Traditional in North Paravur, 
• Syrian Christian History Museum in Kodungallur, 
• Museum on Handlooms at Chendamangalam, 
• the Traditional Art Forms Performance Centre, 
• Paliam Oottupura and 
• the Kerala Maritime Museum are the upcoming museums.

The proposed museums include 

• Museum of Aquatic Life in Vadakkekkara, 
• Museum of Kerala Literature in Kodungallur and 
• a Museum on Coir and Inland Fishing.

Digital Archiving Islamic tradition of Kerala

https://www.muzirisheritage.org/upload/news-letter/january-2021-english.pdf#page=6

This project is supposed to be the first of its kind in Kerala archiving the historical documents, visuals and sounds of a particular community and preparing metadata out of it.The project involves digitization of rare documents related mainly to the trans-regional trade, cultural and religious activities of Muslims of Kerala preserved in mosque libraries and personal or family collections. These documents, kept mostly in archives, mosque libraries and family collections in various places of Kerala, shed lights on people, ideas, goods, networks of traders and scholars, texts, technologies which were in constant motion all across the Indian Ocean region. The themes range from maritime trade, travel, trans-regional networks of traders and scholars and technology transfer to exchange of cultures and diasporic settlements of Arabs on the South-Western coasts of India.

Written mainly in four languages-Arabic, Persian, Arabic-Malayalam and Malayalam-these materials cover a wide variety of subjects like philosophy, medicine, theology, maritime trade, travel etc. 

Almost 1,00,000 documents have already been digitized as a part of this project. The project also involves audio-visual documentation of Muslim food, Islamic architecture, dress, Muslim art forms, rituals, customs and life cycle events. 

The project also involves archiving the rare photographs of early migrants from the Malabar to the Gulf countries and Ceylon.

Collection Contains

1. Digitized rare manuscripts

2. Videos of art forms, rituals, customs, lifecycle events etc.

3. Videos of Mosques, Islamic architecture, food, medicine, dress etc.

4. Photographs of early migrants to the Gulf and Ceylon.

5. Audio files of old MappilaPattu

Web-based Catalogue

A web-based catalogue has already been prepared for the paper, audio, video and sound collections of the Digital Archives with abstract and index of items in the collection.

Digitization is the best method for the preservation of the archival data and it allows putting less strain on the original document. Dr. Jasimudeen, Librarian at St Stephen's College, Uzhavoor and Dr. Midhun C Sekhar, Museum Manger coordinated the final work. Postgraduate (Library Science) students from Feroke College, Kozhikkodu, St Stephen's College, Uzhavoor and S B College Changanassery participated in the workshop.

Travel to past via 1 lakh digitised docments at Cheraman museum: Visitors to Cheraman museum can view these documents through a kiosk

Islamic History Museum

St. Thomas Museum, Palayoor

Muziris International Research and Convention Centre

Muziris

Muziris Newsletter archives

https://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_11_No_10_October_2021/10.pdf

https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2201441.pdf

https://www.mediaonline.directory/place/muziris-heritage-project/

https://twitter.com/MuzirisProject

https://www.outlooktraveller.com/travelnews/muziris-heritage-project-implemented-at-cheraman-museum

Family membership or Relationship certificate issued by the village officer and Tehsildar is not required

A certificate of relationship issued by the village officer and Tehsildar is not required if the relationship is accurately recorded in the ration card, school certificate, passport, Adhaar or birth certificate.

G.O.(P) No.1/2021/PIE&MD  dated 07/10/2021

പദ്ധതി നിർവ്വഹണ വിലയിരുത്തൽ നിരീക്ഷണ വകുപ്പ് പൗരന്മാർക്ക് വിവിധ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകൾ /സേവനങ്ങൾ നൽകുന്നതിനുള്ള നടപടിക്രമങ്ങൾ ലഘൂകരിക്കുന്നതിനും നിയമപ്രകാരമുള്ള വിവിധഅനുമതികൾക്കുള്ള നടപടിക്രമങ്ങൾ സുഗമമാക്കുന്നതിനും മാർഗ്ഗനിർദ്ദേശങ്ങൾ

സേവനങ്ങൾക്ക് പലവിധസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകൾസേവനങ്ങൾപൊതുജനങ്ങൾക്ക് ലഭ്യമാകുന്ന വിവിധസമർപ്പിക്കണമെന്ന് സർക്കാർ വകുപ്പുകൾ നിഷ്കർഷിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് സർക്കാർലഭ്യമാക്കുമ്പോൾ ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്നവയിൽ ഒഴിവാക്കാവുന്ന സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകൾ, ഗസറ്റഡ്ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥൻ/നോട്ടറി എന്നിവരുടെ സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തലുകൾ കഴിയുന്നത്ര ഒഴിവാക്കാനും സേവനംലഭ്യമാക്കാനുള്ള പ്രക്രിയ ലഘൂകരിക്കാനുമുള്ള നടപടികളാണ്,സേവനം ജനങ്ങളിൽ എത്തിക്കുന്നതിന്റെഭാഗമായി സർക്കാർ സ്വീകരിക്കാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നത്. ഇതിന്റെ ഭാഗമായി കേരള സർക്കാർ നൽകുന്നസേവനങ്ങളുടെ നടപടിക്രമങ്ങൾ ലഘൂകരിക്കുന്നതിന് താഴെപ്പറയുന്ന മാർഗ്ഗനിർദ്ദേശങ്ങൾപുറപ്പെടുവിച്ച് ഉത്തരവാകുന്നു.

വിവിധ സർക്കാർ സേവനങ്ങൾ ലഭ്യമാക്കുന്നതിനായി രേഖകൾ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകൾ എന്നിവഗസറ്റഡ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥൻ നോട്ടറി സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തണം എന്ന രീതി ഒഴിവാക്കി രേഖകളുടെസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകളുടെ പകർപ്പുകൾ സ്വയം സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തിയാൽ മതിയാകും.

പൗരൻമാർക്ക് നൽകുന്ന സേവനങ്ങൾക്ക് ഒരു നിശ്ചിത തുക അവരിൽ നിന്നും അപേക്ഷാ ഫീസ്ആയി ഈടാക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ആയതിനാൽ പൗരസേവനങ്ങൾ ലഭിക്കുന്നതിനായി അപേക്ഷാ ഫീസ്ഒടുക്കുന്നതിൽ നിന്നും പൗരൻമാരെ ഒഴിവാക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ, ബിസിനസിനും വാണിജ്യത്തിനുംഅപേക്ഷാഫീസ് ഈടാക്കുന്നത് നിലവിലെ രീതിയിൽ തുടരുന്നതാണ്.

സേവനങ്ങൾക്കായി സമർപ്പിക്കേണ്ട എല്ലാ അപേക്ഷാ ഫോമുകളും ലളിതമാക്കാനുംകഴിയുന്നിടത്തോളം ഒരു പേജിൽ മാത്രം പരിമിതപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു.

സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നല്കുന്ന അധികാരി ഒരു പ്രത്യേക ഉദ്ദേശ്യത്തിന്ഉപയോഗത്തിന് മാത്രമാണ് പ്രസ്തുത സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകുന്നതെന്ന് ഒരു കാരണവശാലുംസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റിൽ രേഖപ്പെടുത്താൻ പാടില്ല.

റസിഡൻസ് സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്:

ആധാർ കാർഡോ, ഏറ്റവും പുതിയ ഇലക്ട്രിസിറ്റി ബിൽ, കുടിവെള്ള ബിൽ, ടെലിഫോൺ ബിൽ,കെട്ടിട നികുതി രസീത് എന്നിവയിലേതെങ്കിലും ഹാജരാക്കിയാൽ റസിഡൻസ് സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റിന്പകരമായി സ്വീകരിക്കാം.

മൈനോരിറ്റി സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്

നിലവിൽ വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസർ തഹസിൽദാർ എന്നിവരാണ് അഡ്മിഷൻ കാര്യങ്ങൾക്കായി ഈസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകുന്നത്. അപേക്ഷകന്റെ എസ്.എസ്.എൽ.സി ബുക്ക് / വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ രേഖയിൽ മതംരേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ ഈ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് ആവശ്യമില്ല.

ലൈഫ് സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്

നിലവിൽ വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസർ, തഹസിൽദാർ, ഗസറ്റഡ് ഓഫീസർ എന്നിവരാണ് ലൈഫ്സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകുന്നത്. കിടപ്പുരോഗിയാണെങ്കിൽ വീട്ടിൽ പോയി സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്നൽകണമെന്നാണ് വ്യവസ്ഥ. റേഷൻ കാർഡ്, തിരിച്ചറിയൽ രേഖ എന്നിവ ഈ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്ലഭിക്കുന്നതിന് തെളിവായി ഹാജരാക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്."ഇതിനു പകരം, കേന്ദ്ര സർക്കാർ പെൻഷൻകാർക്ക് എർപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുള്ള “ജീവൻപ്രമാൺ” എന്നബയോമെട്രിക് ഡിജിറ്റൽ സംവിധാനം ഉപയോഗിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്. ഈ സംവിധാനം കേരള ട്രഷറിയിലുംബാങ്കുകളിലും ലഭ്യമാണ്.

https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in/

One and the Same Certificate

നിലവിൽ വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസർ വിവിധ പേരുകളുള്ള രേഖകൾ, വിവിധ അഡ്രസ്സുകളുള്ള രേഖ, സ്വയംസാക്ഷ്യപത്രം, അയൽവാസിയുടെ സാക്ഷ്യപത്രം എന്നിവയാണ് ഇത് ലഭ്യമാക്കാൻ വേണ്ടിനിഷ്കർഷിക്കുന്നത്. ഇത് നിർത്തലാക്കി വ്യക്തിയുടെ സത്യപ്രസ്താവന ഗസറ്റഡ് പദവിയിലുള്ളഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥൻ സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തി നൽകിയാൽ മതിയാകും.

ബന്ധുത്വ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് (Relationship Certificate)

റേഷൻ കാർഡ്, സ്കൂൾ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്, പാസ്പോർട്ട്, ആധാർ, ജനന സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് എന്നീ രേഖകളിൽഒന്ന് പരിശോധിച്ചാണ് ഈ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകുന്നത്. മേൽപറഞ്ഞ രേഖകളിലേതിലെങ്കിലുംബന്ധുത്വം കൃത്യമായി രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസറോ തഹസിൽദാരോ നൽകുന്നബന്ധുത്വ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് ആവശ്യമില്ല.

കുടുംബ അംഗത്വ (Family Membership) സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്

നിലവിൽ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകാൻ താഴെ പറയുന്ന രീതിയാണ് സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നത്./1. കുടുംബമെന്നാൽ, അപേക്ഷകൻ, ഭാര്യ / ഭർത്താവ്, കുട്ടികൾ, ദത്തെടുത്ത കുട്ടികൾ,അപേക്ഷകൻ / അപേക്ഷകയോടൊപ്പം താമസിക്കുന്ന അച്ഛനമ്മമാർ എന്നിവരാണ്.2. പ്രത്യേകമായി താമസിക്കുന്ന മക്കൾ കുടുംബപരിധിയിൽ കണക്കാക്കില്ല.3. കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങളുടെ പ്രായം, ബന്ധം തുടങ്ങിയവ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റിലുണ്ടാവും.4. റേഷൻ കാർഡ്, സത്യവാങ്മൂലം, അയൽപക്കക്കാരന്റെ പ്രസ്താവന എന്നീ രേഖകളാണ്വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസർ ആവശ്യപ്പെടാറുള്ളത്.5. റേഷൻ കാർഡിൽ ഉൾപ്പെട്ടിട്ടുള്ള പേരുകൾ കുടുംബത്തിലെ അംഗങ്ങളായി കണക്കാക്കാം.മേൽപറഞ്ഞ രീതി ഒഴിവാക്കി താഴെ പറയുന്ന ഭേദഗതി വരുത്തുന്നു.അപേക്ഷകന്റെ റേഷൻ കാർഡിൽ കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങളുടെയെല്ലാം പേരുകൾ ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽറേഷൻ കാർഡ് തന്നെ കുടുംബാംഗത്വ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റിന് പകരമായി സ്വീകരിക്കാം. അല്ലാത്തപക്ഷംവില്ലേജ് ഓഫിസർ നല്കുന്ന സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നിഷ്കർഷിക്കുന്നു.

ഐഡന്റിഫിക്കേഷൻ (Identification) സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്

ആധാർ, ഡ്രൈവിംഗ് ലൈസൻസ്, പാസ്പോർട്ട്, വോട്ടർ ഐ.ഡി കാർഡ്, ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നസ്ഥാപനത്തിന്റെ തിരിച്ചറിയൽ കാർഡ് എന്നിങ്ങനെ യാതൊരു രേഖയുമില്ലാത്ത പൗരൻ സർക്കാർസേവനങ്ങൾ ലഭ്യമാകുന്നതിനായി വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസറുടെ മുമ്പാകെ ഹാജരായി ഐഡന്റിഫിക്കേഷൻസർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് വാങ്ങണം എന്നാണ് നിഷ്കർഷിച്ചിട്ടുള്ളത്.ഒരു തിരിച്ചറിയൽ രേഖയുമില്ലാത്ത പൗരൻ ഗസറ്റഡ് ഓഫീസർ നൽകുന്ന അപേക്ഷകന്റെ ഫോട്ടോപതിച്ച സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് ഹാജരാക്കിയാൽ മതിയാകും.

ലൊക്കേഷൻ മാപ്പ്, ലൊക്കേഷൻ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ്:

വായ്പയ്ക്കും മറ്റ് ആവശ്യങ്ങൾക്കും വില്ലേജ് ഓഫീസറാണ് ഈ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നൽകുന്നത്.ഓരോ വില്ലേജിലും ഡിജിറ്റൽ സർവ്വേ പൂർത്തിയാകുന്ന മുറയ്ക്ക് പ്രസ്തുത സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റിന്റെആവശ്യമില്ലാതായിത്തീരുന്നതാണ്.

ഇതിനായുള്ള നിലവിലെ സർക്കാർ ഉത്തരവുകളിൽ ആവശ്യമായ ഭേദഗതികൾ വരുത്തി/പിൻവലിച്ച്പുതിയ ഉത്തരവുകൾ ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട വകുപ്പുകൾ പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കുന്നതിന്റെ മേൽനോട്ടം വഹിക്കാൻ ചീഫ്സെക്രട്ടറിയെ ചുമതലപ്പെടുത്തി ഉത്തരവാകുന്നു.

Vice Chancellor of two technical universities became prey for technological fraud

The most highly educated or those in higher most positions are too tech savvy to become prey for technological or online frauds like OTP frauds.

J. Letha, Vice Chancellor of two technical universities became prey for one, while she was on the seat of Pro-Vice Chancellor of Jain University.

Jain University Pro-Vice-Chancellor reveals bank OTP, loses Rs 2 lakh

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2018/oct/16/j-letha-cusats-first-woman-vc-to-leave-with-a-trail-of-glory-1886069.html

Kerala Teacher Loses Rs 1.22 Lakh after Sharing OTP with Fraudsters for ‘KYC Update’

Online fraudster swindles Rs 14 lakh from teacher using Kerala DGP Anilkanth’s name

Madhavi Charudatta Bangal, working with a Mumbai-based college as a professor falls prey to 'Nigerian fraud', loses Rs 11.5 Lakh

Unique number for students for certificates

 വ്യാജ സര്‍ട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റുകള്‍ തടയാന്‍ ഓരോ വിദ്യാര്‍ഥിയ്ക്കും തിരിച്ചറിയല്‍ നമ്പര്‍;

വി.സി. നേരിട്ട് പ്രിന്റ് എടുക്കും

Online news link

One more number again! Why cant these fellas use Aadhaar and Digilocker NADwhich is already in existence? Hope this news is only for Mangalam.

"എന്റർപ്രൈസ് റിസോഴ്സ് പ്ലാനിംഗ് എന്ന സോഫ്റ്റ്‌വെയർ"

"ലൈഫ് - സൈക്കിൾ മാനേജ്മെൻറ് ടൂൾ" Translation and report at its worst level

വ്യാജ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് ഒഴിവാക്കാൻ ഡിജി ലോക്കർ സംവിധാനം ആലോചിക്കുന്നു: കേരള വിസി, June 2023

GO: Implementation of DigiLocker system in Government Departments, PSUs, Autonomous bodies, institutions and Universities under Government of Kerala - sanctioned , 2018 September

Universities will soon provide certificates online: Bindu, March 2022

KTU’s digital certificates a hit: Students of the outgoing 2017-21 batch have begun to receive the documents, August 2021

DigiLocker attracts attention of nine varsities More institutions in the state issuing certificates are likely to use the DigiLocker, an electronic platform, after the success of introducing it in the e-District portal., 2017 April

An absolute nonsense comment from the Chancellor of Universities in Kerala

'കേരളത്തിലെ ഉന്നത വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സ്ഥാപനങ്ങൾ കേന്ദ്ര എജൻസികളുടെ റേറ്റിംഗ് ഒപ്പിച്ചതാണ്': ഗവർണർ ആരിഫ് മുഹമ്മദ് ഖാൻ

"No, no, no, Definitely not, I know, Because government cannot appoint such agencies" (to rate HEIs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcdSYJHGzIM

Arif Mohammad Khan, a sheer foolish comment from the first man of the State. May be he might have not heard about NIRF. A Governor may not be an all-rounder to know every aspects of Central Government. Let's pardon him. He also says that "accreditation is not his concern". So he escaped from the other part by not giving too much of importance to it. He is worried about the lack of teachers in university departments and migration of bright students to institutions outside the state.

Source: Mathrubhumi News on YouTube

UGC will contest appointment of Priya Varghese

"Real Teaching Experience Needed", Single Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran in November 2022.

'Period Spent By Teacher To Pursue PhD Can Be Counted As Teaching Experience' : Division bench of Kerala High Court comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Mohammed Nias C P in June 2023.

https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/2154000002720231-1-1-477898.pdf

The RTI query revealed she got the maximum marks (32 out of 50) in the personal interview, while the the second-ranked candidate Jacob Skariah scored 30, but her research score was a mere 156, while the second-ranked candidate secured 651. However, she was ranked first based on the personal interview.

This part of interview marks may be easily challenged by Priya as UGC say score (Academic Score - 80,  Research Publications - 10 and Teaching Experience - 10) is only a criterion to be selected for interview, but the duration in deputation is not at all eligible for the teaching post.

"Criteria for Short-listing of Candidates for Interview for the Post of Assistant Professors in Universities. Number of candidates to be called for interview shall be decided by the concerned universities." is big loophole for these kind of appointments and the following judgements like these.

The above faulty judgement by the Division Bench will definitely be contested by UGC in Supreme Court, as it will lead to a lot of legal battles by ineligible candidates by Priya Varghese. 

Priya Varghese is clearly ineligible for the post of Associate Professor at Kannur University.

മിന്നൽ പ്രളയങ്ങളുടെ നാടായോ കേരളം? നമ്മുടെ കാലാവസ്ഥയ്ക്ക് എന്താണ് സംഭവിക്കുന്നത് | Kerala Floods

മിന്നൽ പ്രളയങ്ങളുടെ നാടായോ കേരളം? നമ്മുടെ കാലാവസ്ഥയ്ക്ക് എന്താണ് സംഭവിക്കുന്നത് | Kerala Floods

KER will continue to be in vogue for the age of admission to class I: five years

https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/age-6-or-5-govt-s-number-game-for-ist-grade-1.2859568

G.O.(MS) 117/12/G.Edn dated 12.04.2012

Government are pleased to order that existing provisions in KER will continue to be in vogue (ie. the age of admission to class I shall be five years for all the schools of the state) until the Kendriya Vidyalayas controlled by Government of India also switch over to age six as implied in the RTE Act.

http://archive.education.kerala.gov.in/Downloads2011/Order/class1admission_19.4.2012.pdf

National Education Policty 2020

The curricular and pedagogical structure of school education will be reconfigured to make it responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development, corresponding to the age ranges of 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The curricular and pedagogical structure and the curricular framework for school education will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design, consisting of the Foundational Stage (in two parts, that is, 3 years of Anganwadi/pre-school + 2 years in primary school in Grades 1-2; both together covering ages 3-8), Preparatory Stage (Grades 3-5, covering ages 8-11), Middle Stage (Grades 6-8, covering ages 11-14), and Secondary Stage (Grades 9-12 in two phases, i.e., 9 and 10 in the first and 11 and 12 in the second, covering ages 14-18).

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf#page=12

Viswaroop of Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhary

Internationally renowned medical nutritionist, Dr Biswaroop Roy Chowdhary, PhD in Diabetes, (AIU, Zambia) 

From his website at https://biswaroop.com/ 

(AIU stands for Alliance International University, Zambia. Higher Education Authority of Zambia has deregistered privately owned Alliance International University in Lusaka for failing to maintain minimum standards and offering substandard training services.

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/substandard-university-deregistered/

https://www.pressreader.com/zambia/daily-nation-newspaper/20180405/281968903253384

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/no-substitute-for-quality-higher-education-in-growth-equation/

At present, this bogus university which is a degree mill is operating from Curaçao in Dutch Caribbean

http://aiuglobal.com/)

https://badscience.in/biswaroop-roy-chowdhury/

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-56845610

Chief Editor, India Book of Records,   https://indiabookofrecords.in/about-us/

Chief Editor, Asia Book of Records, https://www.asiabookofrecords.com/about-us/

Dr. Biswaroop also runs training programs on medical nutrition and emergency life support for Lincoln University College, Malaysia.https://indiabookofrecords.in/profiles/

He runs a bogus university, World Records University, https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/

Although domain name suggests that it is an United Kingdom entity, its copyright line says that "All disputes are subject to Faridabad jurisdiction only", which means its head office is in Faridabad, like many Chit companies in Kerala.

The house (second from left) in Faridabad's Sector 7 where over 130 chit funds had offices until 2013. (https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/faridabad-became-hub-for-chit-funds-operating-in-kerala-41065-2013-05-07)

Further the Terms and Conditions page of WRU (https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/terms-conditions/) states that

Links To Other Web Sites. 

Our Service may contain links to third-party web sites or services that are not owned or controlled by worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk. worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk has control over, and assumes its responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party web sites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that Biswaroop.com shall be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such web sites or services.

worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk has a menu on a completely different entity, Indo-Vietnam medical Board at https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/about-ivmb/

It mentions "Its advisory board comprises of world renowned doctors who have made a mark in their own field of expertise. Some of them are 

• Dr John Mcdougall (USA) (may be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._McDougall & https://www.drmcdougall.com/), 
• Dr Leonard Horowitz (USA) (may be http://drlenhorowitz.com/),  
• Dr. Giang Phung Tuan (Vietnam) (may be https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/borderless-doctor), 
• Dr Hoang Hiep (Vietnam) (may be https://www.drhiephoanguniversity.com/), 
• Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury (India) (the hero), 
• Dr B. B. Goel (India) (http://www.lifehappy.org/content/profile/cure_fedration.asp), 
• Dr Ritu Nanda (India) (https://www.drritunanda.com/about.html)" She is claimed to be "A Trained Clinical Hypnotherapist and Certified Trainer from California Hypnosis Institute (CHI-USA)", but the website of California Hypnosis Institute, https://californiahypnosis.net/ (which is not authorised or accredited) clearly says that the so-called staff (https://californiahypnosis.net/teachers/) and students of this students (https://californiahypnosis.net/members/) are all Indians .

(The peculiarity of all these doctors is that none of them had undergone medical education except the first one and then also they have written books in medicine and some of them practice as quacks. Among these Dr Hoang Hiep and Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury runs their own universities.)

Further the webpage says "World Records University in collaboration with Indo-Vietnam Medical Board offers Doctorate in Nature Science and Medicine to those who want to pursue curing and reversing life style diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, etc through Whole Food Plant based diet.".

https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/doctorate-in-nature-science-and-medicine/ gives more details about Honorary Doctorate in Nature Science and Medicine.

The website of Asia Book of Records (https://www.asiabookofrecords.com/medical-wing/our-patrons/) also highlights this fictitious board

More articles about Biswaroop

Dr. Biswaroop Launches Book Based on 'Modern Slavery-Truth Never Told'

https://www.newsvoir.com/release/dr-biswaroop-launches-book-based-on-apos-modern-slavery-truth-never-told-apos-15515.html

Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury Launches his Next Book 'The Last 4 Minutes' Curing Clinical Death

https://www.newsvoir.com/release/dr-biswaroop-roy-chowdhury-launches-his-next-book-apos-the-last-4-minutes-apos-curing-clinical-death-16044.html

Source Name: Indo-Vietnam Medical Board 

The Truth of Second Wave by Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, Book Release Tour Across Maharashtra

https://www.businesswireindia.com/the-truth-of-second-wave-by-dr-biswaroop-roy-chowdhury-book-release-tour-across-maharashtra-73541.html

Dr. Biswaroop launches book based on 'Modern Slavery-Truth Never Told'

https://www.business-standard.com/content/press-releases-ani/dr-biswaroop-launches-book-based-on-modern-slavery-truth-never-told-121012300749_1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biswaroop_Roy_Chowdhury

Lincoln University: Foreign collaborators

https://www.lincoln.edu.my/Collaboration/Foreign_Collaborators

Doctors having vanity degrees from diploma mills

Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/fake-degree-row-returns-haunt-ramesh-pokhriyal-nishank-1502761186.html

സംസ്ഥാന വനിതാ കമീഷൻ അംഗം ഷാഹിദ കമാസംസ്ഥാന വനിതാ കമീഷൻ അംഗം ഷാഹിദ കമാൽ

Dr. Shahida Kamal, Kerala Women's Commission member

http://web.archive.org/web/20191004034320/http://keralawomenscommission.gov.in/index.php/content/index/present-commission

https://iou.edu.gm/

Boby Chemmannur, 

https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/

Founder of Universal Achievers Book of Records, Dr. Babu Balakrishnan, a Multiple World Record Achiever and the First Tamizhian in the World to be honoured with Doctorate of Philosophy in Record Breaking for the Biggest Banner in the World by World Record’s University, London

Dera Sacha Sauda head and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh did not complete high school education but never failed to prefix "Dr" since he was granted a PhD by the 'World Record University' in January 2016. However, it has now emerged that the 'university' is not recognized by the UK government where it is headquartered. To top it all, the body has now decided to "withdraw the degree" conferred upon the godman.

http://web.archive.org/web/20170912004936/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/unrecognized-varsity-to-withdraw-phd-conferred-upon-gurmeet-ram-rahim/articleshow/60416075.cms

Fake universities awarding higher degrees

International Open University (IOU), The Gambia

https://iou.edu.gm/

The Open International University For Alternative Medicines

80, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Esplanade, Chandni Chawk, Bowbazar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020

https://www.altmeduniversity.com/

The Open International University for Alternative Medicines (OIUAM),

Kuttalam, Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu - 609 801, India

http://ointunialtmed.net/phd_programme/index.html

Prof. Dr.T.Selvaraj, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., B.G.L., widely regarded as the pioneer of the holistic medical movement in India, is the Chairperson  of the OPEN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES (OIUAM). An   internationally  renowned  practitioner of Alternative Medicine, Dr.T. Selvaraj is also an Organizer, Visionary, Author, Writer, Teacher, Poet and an Editor of a Monthly Magazine (http://ointunialtmed.net/sharing_chairperson/index.html)

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/fake-university-vc-targeted-only-quacks-to-issue-degrees/articleshow/67495657.cms

The Open International University for Complementary Medicines,

Mt Lavinia, Sri Lanka

https://oiucm.net/

Code of ethics of fake university https://oiucm.net/professional-ethics/

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/fake-degree-row-returns-haunt-ramesh-pokhriyal-nishank-1502761186.html

Open University of Alternative Medicines is formed as CUG Level Prophetic Medicine University

https://oiuam.org/

List of fake universities in India identified by UGC

https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/3958086_Fake-Universities.pdf

List of unaccredited institutions of higher education, Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unaccredited_institutions_of_higher_education

Vanity record books

Universal Achievers Book of Records

https://universalachieversbookofrecords.com/

Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhary,

https://biswaroop.com/

Asia Book of Records

https://www.asiabookofrecords.com

https://www.asiabookofrecords.com/about-us/

India Book of Records 

https://indiabookofrecords.in/

and they have set up World Records University at https://worldrecordsuniversity.co.uk/ at the same addresses.

Tamil Nadu Book of Records

https://www.tamilanbookofrecords.com/

Covid in India

 https://twitter.com/RijoMJohn

Department of Science & Technology had put together a committee, National Supermodel Committee, to study the spread of the novel coronavirus in India and to recommend policy interventions to help the government. The committee members are were M. Vidyasagar (IIT Hyderabad), who was also the chair; Manindra Agrawal (IIT Kanpur); Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar (Ministry of Defence); Biman Bagchi (Indian Institute of Science); Arup Bose and Sankar K. Pal (Indian Statistical Institute); and Gagandeep Kang (CMC Vellore).

Susceptible, Undetected, Tested (positive), and Removed Approach (SUTRA) is a mathematical model for pandemics, authored by M Agrawal (IIT Kanpur), M Kanitkar (Integrated Defense Staff), and M Vidyasagar (IIT Hyderabad).

https://www.sutra-india.in/

https://www.iith.ac.in/~m_vidyasagar/arXiv/Super-Model.pdf

SUTRA: An Approach to Modelling Pandemics with Asymptomatic Patients, and Applications to COVID-19

Manindra Agrawal, Madhuri Kanitkar, Mathukumalli Vidyasagar

https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.09158

All data used for modelling in SUTRA is from non-official dataset available at https://www.covid19india.org/

Crowdsourced resource based non-official data

https://www.covid19india.org/

Data sourced from state bulletins and official handles and validated by a group of volunteers and published into a Google sheet and an API

Kerala COVID-19 Tracker

https://covid19kerala.info/

Data is sourced from Govt of Kerala Directorate of Health Services (DHS) and various news outlets.

Maintained by Volunteers at CODD-K Team. Supported by Government College Kasaragod.

A citizen science initiative for open data and visualization of COVID-19 outbreak in Kerala, India 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.13.20092510v1.full.pdf

AN OPEN APPEAL TO THE HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA signed by 907 scientists to access to the granular testing data, clinical data, Adequately fund and widen the network of organizations to collect large-scale surveillance data based on genome-sequencing of the coronavirus, Expand the network of organizations to collect population-level data, and Withdrawal of restrictions on import of scientific equipment and reagents under "Aatmanirbhar Bharat” policy

https://sites.google.com/view/corona-appeal/home

Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics or Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium (INSACOG) is a consortia of 10 labs across the country tasked with scanning COVID-19 samples from swathes of patients.All these 10 laboratories are required to share 5% of positive samples to INSACOG for further research and studies. Two national genomic sequencing database centers are appointed 1) National Institute of Biomedical Genomics and 2) CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.

Indian Scientists Response to COVID-19, a voluntary group of scientists

INDSCI-SIM, a state-level epidemiological model for India, is the first detailed, state-specific, epidemiological compartmental model for COVID-19

https://indscicov.in/for-scientists-healthcare-professionals/mathematical-modelling/indscisim/

COV-IND-19 Study Group at the University of Michigan

https://umich-biostatistics.shinyapps.io/covid19/

Problems with the Indian supermodel for COVID-19

Basing public health policy on flawed models can be dangerous

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/problems-with-the-indian-supermodel-for-covid-19/article32937184.ece

Data lapse

https://scroll.in/article/991429/ending-in-february-2021-expert-covid-committees-supermodel-flounders-as-second-wave-surges

A visual guide to the Covid crisis in India

Covid-19 in India: Cases, deaths and oxygen supply

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56891016

Coronavirus: How India descended into Covid-19 chaos

India is a Covid disaster - it didn't have to be

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-56977653

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/13/opinion/india-coronavirus-vaccination.html

OPINION

GUEST ESSAY

How India Can Survive the Virus

Vaccines alone won’t save the country.

May 13, 2021

NEW DELHI — As of Tuesday, India had over 23 million reported cases of Covid-19 and more than 254,000 deaths. The real numbers may be much higher, as the country reported an average of more than 380,000 new cases per day in the past week.

As a virologist, I have closely followed the outbreak and vaccine development over the past year. I also chair the Scientific Advisory Group for the Indian SARS-CoV2 Consortium on Genomics, set up by the Indian government in January as a grouping of national laboratories that use genetic sequencing to track the emergence and circulation of viral variants. My observations are that more infectious variants have been spreading, and to mitigate future waves, India should vaccinate with far more than the two million daily doses now.

In India the virus was mutating around the new year to become more infectious, more transmissible and better able to evade pre-existing immunity. Sequencing data now tells us that two variants that fueled the second wave are B.1.617, first found in India in December, which spread through mass events; and B.1.1.7, first identified in Britain, which arrived in India with international travelers starting in January. The B.1.617 variant has now become the most widespread in India.

On Monday the World Health Organization designated B.1.617 a variant of concern. When tested in hamsters, which are reasonable models for human infection and disease, B.1.617 produced higher amounts of virus and more lung lesions compared with the parent B.1 virus. Global data shows the B.1.617 variant to be diversifying into three sub-lineages. In a preliminary report posted on Sunday, British and Indian scientists found the B.1.617.2 variant in vaccine breakthrough infections in a Delhi hospital.

On Monday, American researchers reported the B.1.617.1 variant to be neutralized with reduced efficiency by serums from recovered Covid-19 patients and those vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Indian researchers reported similar findings in a preliminary report on April 23.

With these variants circulating through India’s still mostly unvaccinated population, public health officials here are trying to determine when the second wave might peak, how big it will be and when it will end.

OPINION CONVERSATIONQuestions surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine and its rollout.

• When is it still important to wear a face mask?
  Three health experts address readers’ questions about mask guidelines.
• What can I do once I'm vaccinated?
  Tara Haelle, a science journalist, argues that even after you're vaccinated, "you will need to do your own risk assessment."
• What can I do while my children are still unvaccinated?
  David Leonhardt writes about the difficult safety calculations families will face.
• When can we declare the pandemic over?
  Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics, writes that some danger will still exist when things return to “normal.”

The estimates vary widely. The Supermodel Group, preferred by the Indian government, estimated cases to have peaked at about 380,000 cases per day in the first week of May. The simulation model by the Indian Scientists Response to COVID-19, a voluntary group of scientists, predicts that daily cases will reach a peak sometime in mid-May, but it forecasts a much higher peak, about 500,000 to 600,000 daily cases. The COV-IND-19 Study Group at the University of Michigan predicts a peak by mid-May with about 800,000 to one million daily cases.

All models predict India’s second wave to last until July or August, ending with about 35 million confirmed cases and possibly 500 million estimated infections. That would still leave millions of susceptible people in India. The timing and scale of the third wave would depend on the proportion of vaccinated people, whether newer variants emerge and whether India can avoid additional superspreader events, like large weddings and religious festivals.

What worries me is that we may not even be able to measure the peak cases accurately. Data show that testing is increasing at a far slower rate than cases. In this scenario, numbers will reach a plateau — not because case numbers have stopped rising but because testing capacity will be tapped out. The national average test positivity rate is over 22 percent, but several states have rates that are, alarmingly, even higher — including Goa at 46.3 percent and Uttarakhand, which hosted the Kumbh festival, at 36.5 percent. “India will have a manufactured peak of about 500,000 daily cases by mid-May,” argued Rijo M. John, a health economist.

Vaccines remain one of the most effective public health tools, and vaccination with speed is shown to significantly reduce the spread of the coronavirus. India started its vaccination drive in mid-January with a sensible plan to vaccinate 300 million people in phases — health care workers, frontline workers and then people above 60 years of age or above 45 years with comorbidities. And as a leading supplier of vaccines worldwide — India supplies about 40 percent of all the world’s vaccines — two Indian companies, Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, were well positioned to execute.

But by mid-March only 15 million doses had been delivered, covering a mere 1 percent of India’s population. The vaccination drive was hobbled by messages from Indian leadership that the country had conquered the virus and by news from Europe associating fatal blood clots with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which remains the mainstay of India’s vaccination rollout.

When the second wave arrived, only 33 million people, about 2.4 percent of the population, had received one dose and seven million people had received both doses. On May 1, vaccination opened for everyone older than 18 years, but many states have reported shortages and the pace of vaccination has slowed down. Local supplies are expected to stabilize by July, but their low penetration cannot reverse the current wave of infection and death in India.

Covid-19 vaccines mitigate disease, but they may not prevent infection, especially when transmission rates are as high as they are now. Though good data is lacking, variant viruses with evasion potential may also have a role in “breakthrough” infections in vaccinated people.

The immediate need is to reduce spread by increased testing and isolation of people who test positive. Several Indian states are under lockdown. This would “flatten the curve,” allowing health care facilities and supplies to regroup. Rapidly enhancing the health care infrastructure will also save lives. India should increase available hospital beds by setting up temporary facilities, mobilize retired doctors and nurses, and strengthen the supply chain for critical medicines and oxygen.

At the same time, India cannot allow the pace of vaccinations to slow. It must vaccinate at scale now, aiming to deliver 7.5 million to 10 million doses every day. This will require enhancing vaccine supplies and doubling delivery points. There are only about 50,000 sites where Indians can get vaccines right now; we need many more. Since only 3 percent of these delivery points are in the private sector, this is where capacity can be added.

All of these measures have wide support among my fellow scientists in India. But they are facing stubborn resistance to evidence-based policymaking. On April 30, over 800 Indian scientists appealed to the prime minister, demanding access to the data that could help them further study, predict and curb this virus.

Decision-making based on data is yet another casualty, as the pandemic in India has spun out of control. The human cost we are enduring will leave a permanent scar.

Shahid Jameel is a virologist and director of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University in Sonipat, India.