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Children between 15-18 can register on CoWIN for vaccination

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Children between the ages of 15 and 18 will be able to register on the CoWIN platform from January 1, the government said on Monday.  For registering, children have been permitted to use their student ID cards in case they do not have Aadhaar or any other identity cards, CoWIN platform Chief Dr RS Sharma said.

The announcement comes days after PM Modi’s Christmas night address, where he said children in the 15-18 age group will soon be included in the nationwide vaccination drive. The prime minister also announced a third ‘precautionary’ or booster dose of the vaccine for healthcare and frontline workers as well as those above the age of 60 who have comorbidities.

Sharma also confirmed that the first precautionary dose of the Covid vaccine will be given to those above 60 years of age who received their second dose of the vaccine nine months before registering for the third. The process of registration will be exactly the same, he said. This would mean that the first lot of recipients of the precautionary vaccine will be those who received their second shot by April this year. 
The decision to keep the interval between the second and third doses at nine months has been based on the findings of five scientific studies carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad,
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The City’s Sanitation Suffers As More Than 8,000 NMMC Contract Workers Go On An Indefinite Strike

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Over 8,000 NMMC Contract Workers Go on Indefinite Strike, City’s Sanitation Hit

The Workers

More than 8,050 contractual workers of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have launched an indefinite strike, bringing garbage collection and other civic services to a standstill. The workers are demanding equal pay for equal work, citing a policy adopted by NMMC in 2007.

The protest stems from wage disparities between contractual and permanent employees. Workers are demanding salaries on par with fourth-class permanent staff, along with benefits such as gratuity, earned leave, medical leave, provident fund, and uniforms.

Union leader Mangesh Ladh stated that despite years of legal battles, committee reports, and government assurances, no final decision has been implemented. A 2022 committee found that equal pay for contractual workers would cost the NMMC an additional ₹20.43 crore annually. However, proposals sent to the state government have not been acted upon.

Protesting workers have accused the administration of prioritizing other projects over their rightful wages. They point out that while newly hired permanent employees in 2024 receive significantly higher salaries, many contractual workers with over 29 years of service remain underpaid.

The strike is expected to severely impact sanitation, garbage collection, vector control, and public garden maintenance, raising public health concerns.

“Road sweeping, garbage collection, and sewage complaints will be unattended if the strike continues. I hope the NMMC Commissioner resolves the issue soon,” former corporator Divya Vaibhav Gaikwad said.

Workers have vowed to continue their protest until they receive a written assurance from the authorities.

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To Find Kharghar Techie’s Killers, Police Form Ten Teams

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Police Form 10 Squads to Track Down Kharghar Murder Suspects.

The Teams

Mumbai police have set up 10 squads to locate and arrest the suspects involved in the murder of 45-year-old IT specialist Shivkumar Roshanlal Sharma in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Sharma was attacked on February 2 while returning home from Vashi on his two-wheeler.

According to reports, two helmeted assailants on a motorcycle stopped Sharma near Utsav Chowk, accusing him of reckless overtaking. A confrontation ensued, during which one suspect, dressed in a black kurta-pajama, held Sharma while the other, wearing a green kurta-pajama, repeatedly struck his head with a helmet. The attackers fled the scene.

Sharma managed to reach the police station to file a complaint but collapsed moments later. He was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Authorities are analyzing technological evidence to track the suspects and are awaiting a lab report on blurry images of the attackers’ vehicle registration number. CCTV footage has captured their movements at a toll booth in Navi Mumbai.

Senior Inspector Deepak Surve confirmed that Sharma worked as a project manager at an IT firm in Real Tech Park, near Vashi railway station. A murder case has been filed, and a manhunt is underway.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders Nitesh Rane and Kirit Somaiya visited Sharma’s family, assuring them of swift justice. Somaiya stated that police had promised to arrest the accused within two days, condemning the brutality of the attack.

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NMMC Promises To Take Action On Demands And Urges Contract Workers To End Their Strike Over The Demand For Equal Pay

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NMMC urges contract workers to end Illegal strike, cites ongoing efforts.

The Actions

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has urged contract workers to call off their indefinite strike, calling it unlawful and unnecessary. Despite the administration’s steps to address their concerns, the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh (Navi Mumbai) began the strike on Monday.

NMMC clarified that contract workers have been employed through contractors since its inception and are paid as per the Minimum Wages Act, not entitled to “equal pay for equal work” per a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. The corporation assured that wages, allowances, and bonuses are being regularly disbursed.

To resolve the issue, NMMC sought guidance from the state government in 2022 and 2023. In September 2024, the government advised the corporation to evaluate its financial capacity and decide accordingly. A committee found that implementing “equal pay for equal work” would lower wages below the minimum wage. This was conveyed to labor unions in meetings on December 27, 2024, and January 16, 2025.

A high-level meeting on January 3, chaired by NMMC Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, led to the formation of a special committee under a retired Additional Chief Secretary to reassess the issue. The panel’s first meeting is scheduled for February 12, 2025.

Despite these steps, workers accuse NMMC of submitting incorrect reports and ignoring the Chief Minister’s directives. NMMC has urged unions to await the committee’s report and warned that disrupting civic services through an unlawful strike would harm citizens.

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