BELAGAVI  TUESDAY  OCTOBER 03, 2023  `9.00  PAGES 20  LATE CITY EDITION MEDICINE NOBEL GOES TO 2 WHOSE DISCOVERIES LED TO COVID VACCINES Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against coronavirus Weissman and Karikó VACCINE DEVELOPMENT FOR PANDEMIC HAILED KARIKÓ IS THE 13TH WOMAN IN MEDICINE WIN Hungarian-born American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman were cited for contributing ‘to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,’ according to the panel that awarded the prize in Stockholm. The mRNA vaccines can be used to develop other shots in the future | P9 ■ ■ Injecting lab-grown mRNA into the body triggered a reaction that destroyed it. Karikó and Weissman figured out a modification to the RNA that made it stealthy enough to slip past the immune defences Karikó, 68, is the 13th woman to win the prize in medicine. She was a senior VP at BioNTech, which partnered Pfizer to make COVID-19 vax $1 million IS THE CASH AWARD FROM A BEQUEST LEFT BY ALFRED NOBEL CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Engineer among 3 IS suspects held in Delhi U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi 24 DEATHS IN 24 HOURS AT MAHA HOSPITAL Twelve newborns among fatalities at govt hospital in Nanded due to shortage of medicines and medical staff. Expert committee formed to submit report BAPU’S DAY President Droupadi Murmu pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary, at Rajghat in New Delhi, Monday | PTI Bihar BC head count at 63% STATE CASTE SURVEY OUTCOME MADE PUBLIC; YADAV BIGGEST CASTE @ 14.3% Tomorrow, at 3.30 pm, a presentation on the findings of the survey will be made before representatives of all 9 parties that gave consent for the survey — Nitish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister Thebigpicture TOTAL POPULATION: 13.07 CR Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs): 36% Other Backward Classes (OBCs) 27.13% 10 CASTES WITH HIGHEST POPULATION CASTE PERCENTAGE(%) POPULATION Yadav 14.27 1.86 CRORE Dushad 5.31 69.43 LAKH Chamar 5.25 68.69 LAKH Koiris 55.06 LAKH 4.2 Brahmin 3.65 47.81 LAKH Rajput 3.45 45.10 LAKH Mushar 3.08 2.87 37.62 LAKH Bania 2.3 Islam 17.7% (2,31,49,925) 40.35 LAKH Kurmi Religion-wise Hindu 82% (10,71,92,958) Christian 0.0576% (75,238) 30.26 LAKH Kayasth 0.60 7.857 LAKH Govt planning to set up village-level courts: Siddu EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru CHIEF Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that the State Government is planning to establish courts at the villagelevel to reduce the burden on courts at the district and State levels. He was speaking at a function organised to present Gandhi Gram Puraskar and Swachh Sarvekshan Rural state-level awards here. Siddaramaiah said such courts will help resolve disputes at the village-level itself. This decentralised court system will help villagers as they need not go to towns and cities to attend court cases. He said village-level courts will be established based on the concepts of gram swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi and decentralisation of power of Rajiv Gandhi. Stressing the need for the development of khadi and village industries, Siddaramaiah said steps will be taken to boost the sale of gramodyog products. The country will not progress until its villages are developed. The concepts of gram swaraj and decentralisation of power were aimed at developing villages, he said. CONTINUED ON: P5 TOTAL POPULATION 13.07 CRORE; OBCs CONSTITUTE 27.13% OF IT, EBC 36% RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi BIHAR’S backward castes on Monday got an authentic number for the first time — 63% — with the state’s caste ‘survey’ report being made public. In the process, Bihar became the first state to share the findings of its gamechanger caste census. It is expected set off caste assertion of a kind that has the potential to overshadow the Hindutva and nationalism cards the BJP is preparing to use during the next general elections in 2024. While the population of the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) is 36%, that of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) is 27.13%, the census revealed. The state has a total population of 13.07 crore. A visibly elated Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sidestepped queries about whether the survey would prove to be Mandal 2.0, triggering demands for revised quotas for different castes in proportion to their population. “It would not be proper for me to go into such details right now. Let me share the findings with all parties tomorrow. After that, our focus will be on making policies targeted at castes that may be deemed to be in need of greater assistance. The survey will benefit all castes, without exception,” he said. Yadavs (14.27%) unsurprisingly constitute the biggest caste group amongst the OBCs. They form the primary vote- bank of ruling RJD, which alone with the support of the Muslim population comprising 17.70%, ruled the state for 15 years in a row through the MY (Muslim-Yadav) formula from 2005 and are back in power after Nitish’s somersault from the BJP and his JD(U) leading the grand anto-BJP alliance. RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav is Nitish’s deputy . RJD president Lalu Yadav said the survey will set the tone for ‘a nationwide caste census which will be undertaken when we form the next government at the Centre’. The Scheduled Castes comprise 19.65% (2,56,89,820) of the state’s population while the total head count of Scheduled Tribes is 1.68% (21,99,361). The population of upper castes under the unreserved category stands at 15.5%, which has already triggered calls for revisiting the 10% EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota carved out by the Modi government at the Centre. The break-up of the four upper castes in the state is Bhumihar 3.66% (47,81,280), Rajput 3.45% (45,10,733), Brahmin 3.66% (47,81,280) and Kaystha 0.6% (7,85,771). The survey was approved by state cabinet on June 2 last year with a budgetary allocation of `500 crore. As many as 3 lakh officials were deployed for task. For its part, the Opposition BJP in Bihar termed the report an eyewash, as it did not capture the economic profile of the people. THE Delhi Police Special Cell arrested three suspected ISIS terrorists, including one who is on the most wanted list of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) and carrying a reward of `3 lakh on his head. The suspected terrorist, identified as Shahnawaz Alam alias Abdullah alias Md Ibrahim alias Prince (31), an engineer by profession, was hiding in Delhi after fleeing from Pune, the police said on Monday. The other two were identified as Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf (28) and Md Arshad Warsi (29). Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said the arrested persons were taking instructions from their handlers in Pakistan and were planning to carry out terror activities in India. “They were in advance stage of preparations and had procured arms, ammunition, and explosives for this purpose and had also set up a base in Delhi,” he added. Dhaliwal said Delhi Police received credible inputs that Pakistan’s spy agency ISI was using terrorists to carry out attacks in India. “One such module was identified with footprints in UP, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand & Maharashtra. Two ISIS operatives namely Imran Khan and Yunus Saaki were arrested in Pune by Maharashtra police. However, Shahnawaz Alam managed to escape from the police custody he ,” added. S’mogga peaceful, 60 held for stone-throwing CM SEEKS E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E REPORT Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday sought a report on the incident from DG and IGP Alok Mohan. The govt will take stern action against those involved in the incident, he said. P4 7-DAY POLICE REMAND All three were produced before a special UAPA court in Delhi, which sent them to a seven-day police remand 5 NABBED IN KOPPAL The Koppal police have arrested five persons after a video of people showing arati to a mosque during a Ganesha procession went viral on social media. P4 POLICE have arrested 60 people in connection with the stone-throwing incident at Ragigudda here on Sunday . The city which witnessed tension af, ter Sunday’s incident, was peaceful on Monday Ban orders under Section 144 . are in force across the city . Twelve people were injured, and seven houses and four vehicles were damaged in the stone-throwing incident. The police have registered 24 FIRs. Personnel from Rapid Action Force and reserve police have been deployed across the city . Superintendent of Police Mithun Kumar GK told The New Indian Express that the stone-throwing incident took place after rumours of stonethrowing on a Eid Milad procession spread across the city . “The procession at Ragigudda began after 2.30 pm. After the alleged stonethrowing incident, I rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the crowd. But around 80 people arrived there and raised slogans. Soon, they started throwing stones. Immediately, we resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd,” the SP said. CONTINUED ON: P4 GOKAK HORROR INDIA TOUCH 60 Five held for gangrape, sixth on the run Priti (L) and Parul Chaudhary After another good day in office on Monday, the nation is inching closer to its biggest ever haul of 70 at the Asian Games. Here are some of the highlights ATHLETES SIZZLE AGAIN Parul Chaudhary and Priti secured silver and bronze medals in the women’s 3000m steeplechase while Ancy Sojan grabbed a long jump silver. The 4x400m mixed relay team’s bronze was upgraded to silver after Sri Lanka was disqualified for lane infringement Speed skaters dazzled with two surprise bronze medals in men’s and women’s 3000m team relay events PADDLERS SUTIRTHA-AYHIKA WIN BRONZE Sutirtha Mukherjee and Auhika Mukherjee’s giant-slaying run ended as they lost the closely-fought women’s doubles semifinal 3-4 to North Korea on Monday. They finished with bronze | MORE ON P11 POSITIVE TREND Women take the lead in organ donation drive GIVING LIFE AFTER DEATH K A V I TA B A J E L I - D AT T @ New Delhi WOMEN have taken the lead in donating their organs under the recently launched Ayushman Bhav campaign, under which over 61,000 Indians have pledged to donate their organs and tissues after death. Since President Droupadi Murmu launched the campaign on September 13, as many as 35,000 women have so far taken the pledge to donate their organs and tissues. In shar p contrast, only around 26,000 men have come forward. Maharashtra, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh have emerged as the top three states with the highest participation Under the scheme, a person after his/her death can give new life to up to nine others by donating vital organs such as kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, pancreas, and intestine, besides improving the life of many more by donating tissues like cornea, skin, bone, heart valve in the campaign, s h o w gover nment data. People from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand have also responded positively to the call. According to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, people in the age group of 30-45 years are @ Shivamogga coming forward in large numbers to donate their organs, followed by 18-30 years, and then 45-60 years. There are not many takers in the age group of 60 years and above. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday urged more people to come forward for the noble cause. India faces the lowest organ donation rate worldwide, with a mere 0.1% of the population donating their organs after death in stark contrast to 7080% in Western countries, say experts. With over 2 lakh Indians needing organ transplants annually, a unified national policy can address the critical issue effectively they point out. , “If we properly harvest even 5-10% of all brain deaths for organ donation, it could render the need for living donors obsolete,” said Dr L K Jha, director, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi. Underscoring the need for collective efforts to increase organ donations, Dr Prashant Jain of the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre said: “India must promote and streamline the process of cadaveric donations actively .” EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Belagavi AN incident of a woman gangraped by six members of the notorious “Benachinmardi Khilari” gang and “SP Sarkar” gang at Aditya Nagar in Gokak town of Belagavi district came to light on September 18 though it occured on September 5. The district police have arrested five of the six accused. The arrested have been identified as Ramesh Uddappa Khilari, Durgappa Somling Vadda r, Ya l l a p p a S i d d a p p a Gisningavvagol, Krishna Prakash Pujeri and Ramsidda Gurusiddappa Tapsi, all residents of Gokak taluk. A search is on for Basavaraj Va s a n t K h i l a r i w h o i s absconding. Police said the victim was shopping in Gokak town along with a man on September 5 when Basavaraj Khilari, who is known to her, invited them to his house for tea. Accordingly, the victim and the man went to his house. After some time, Basavaraj Khilari locked them in a room and telephoned the other accused to come to his house. After the five accused reached Basavaraj Khilari’s house, they assaulted the victim and the man, clicked their photos and shot their videos to blackmail them. They took Rs 2,000 from the victim’s bag, her earrings and an ATM card from the man and demanded Rs 2 lakh from them. Later, the accused gangraped the victim after gagging her. CONTINUED ON: P5