57 officer trainees test COVID-19 positive at Mussoorie-based civil services training academy
New Delhi: As many as 57 civil services officer trainees have tested positive for coronavirus at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie, prompting authorities to close "all non-essential departments" there.
The academy is taking every measure to break the chain of COVID-19 spread in consonance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the District Administration, Dehradun, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry on Saturday said.
All officer trainees, who have tested positive, have been quarantined in a dedicated COVID care centre, it said.
It said, "57 officer trainees have tested COVID positive at LBSNAA since November 20, 2020. A total of 428 officer trainees are on campus for the 95th foundation course which is conducted for new entrants to the civil services."
The academy has conducted more than 162 RT-PCR tests in coordination with district authorities since Friday, the statement said.
"The academy has decided to conduct all activities, including training, online till the midnight of December 3, 2020. The protocols relating to social distancing, frequent hand wash, and the wearing of masks are being strictly followed by the officer trainees and staff members," it said.
Food and other necessities are being delivered to the officer trainees in their hostels by staff who are equipped adequately in protective gear, it added.
LBSNAA Director Sanjeev Chopra said the academy, the Dehradun District Administration, and the Health Department of Uttrakhand are working together to address the challenge.
"All non-essential departments have been closed, complete sanitization for the entire campus has been undertaken," he told PTI.
The LBSNAA is a premier training academy for civil servants.
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Senior Congress MLA, former Minister Shamanuru Shivashankarappa passes away
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa passed away at a private hospital here on Sunday due to age-related ailments, official sources said.
He was 95 and represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for some time.
Shivashankarappa is survived by three sons, including S S Mallikarjun, Karnataka Minister for Mines and Geology and Horticulture, and four daughters.
His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is the Member of Parliament from Davanagere.
A former minister, Shivashankarappa, served as treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for several decades and was the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
He was also a noted educationist who established several educational institutions and was an industrialist.
