Delhi: Human rabies to be declared notifiable disease
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Government is all set to declare Human Rabies as a Notifiable Disease in the national capital under the Epidemic Diseases Act in an effort to strengthen surveillance and ensure timely treatment.
"This is an important step toward our goal of zero human deaths from rabies in Delhi," said Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh.
On notification, all government and private health facilities, including medical colleges and individual practitioners, will be required to report suspected, probable, and confirmed cases of human rabies to the concerned health authorities, said an official statement.
The move aims to strengthen disease surveillance, ensure timely reporting of cases, and enable swift public health action to prevent the spread of rabies, it said, adding the government is also further strengthening rabies vaccination facilities for humans as well as dogs and other animals.
The Delhi Government is in the process of finalising the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE) in coordination with local bodies, the Animal Husbandry Department and other stakeholders.
The move comes amid a row over the Supreme Court's order on handling stray dogs after it took cognisance of reports on stray dog attacks on people and rabies-related deaths.
The apex court in November directed the removal of all stray dogs from railway stations, schools, hospitals, bus stops and other public areas, and their relocation to "designated shelters" after due sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules.
However, dog lovers, experts and activists are opposing it, saying the "unscientific" approach will weaken rabies-control efforts, destabilise urban ecosystems and disproportionately affect low-income and underserved communities.
"Declaring rabies as a notifiable disease is a key step toward achieving the goal of zero human deaths due to dog-mediated rabies. The government is also further strengthening Rabies vaccination facilities for humans as well as dogs and other animals," the official statement said.
To ensure accessible treatment across the city, anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) is currently being provided at 59 health facilities across all 11 districts of Delhi, while anti-rabies serum (RIG) is available at 33 designated health facilities and hospitals in the national capital.
Mandatory notification will help authorities track disease trends, improve coordination between human and animal health systems, and implement targeted preventive measures in high-risk areas.
"Rabies is a preventable disease, and no death due to rabies is acceptable. Declaring human rabies as a notifiable disease will strengthen surveillance, improve early detection, and ensure timely treatment," Singh said.
The proposed notification will come into force immediately after issuance and will remain applicable until further orders. Detailed guidelines for reporting and coordination will be shared with all concerned departments and health institutions.
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Counting for Bagalkot, Davanagere South bypolls on May 4 amid tight security
Bengaluru (PTI): Counting of votes for bypolls to two assembly constituencies in Karnataka -- Bagalkot and Davanagere South -- will be held on May 4, amid tight security, election officials said Sunday.
The by-elections were held on April 9.
The bypolls were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
Although the outcome of these by-elections is unlikely to have an immediate impact on state politics, the contest is seen as a matter of prestige for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
While the Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to the ruling party, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
There has been speculation that a decision on leadership change and the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle is likely after the May 4 results.
According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Bagalkot was 68.74 per cent, and it was 68.43 per cent in Davanagere South.
Poll officials said the counting of votes would begin at 8 am, and the clear picture may emerge by mid day.
Adequate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the counting and to ensure that no untoward incidents happen during or after the declaration of results, according to top police officials.
Preparations have been completed at the University of Horticultural Sciences in Bagalkot and DRR School at Davanagere for counting of votes.
According to election officials, 14 tables each have been set for vote counting on EVMs at counting centres both in Bagalkot and Davanagere South assembly segments, where nine and 25 candidates were in the fray respectively.
The BJP fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress gave tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Samarth's father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet and in charge of Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energise its cadre ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. For the Congress, retaining both seats is crucial, as a loss could be seen as a negative verdict on the performance of the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Muslim disgruntlement appears to be a concern for the Congress in Davanagere South. With 14 of the 25 candidates in the fray belonging to the community, there are apprehensions within the party about a split in votes, which could benefit the BJP.
Given its significant presence in the constituency, the Muslim community strongly demanded the Congress ticket for Davanagere South. However, the party fielded late MLA Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth. This is said to have caused disgruntlement among the community and Muslim leaders within Congress.
Although the Congress persuaded a rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to withdraw, he remained in the fray as the move came after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations.
The Congress, after the polls, even took action against some Muslim leaders of the party following allegations of "internal conspiracy" to defeat the candidate in Davanagere South. The action included MLC K Abdul Jabbar being suspended from primary membership and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah relieving another MLC, Naseer Ahmed, from the post of CM's political secretary.
Speculation are rife that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary measures during the next cabinet reshuffle. So, the Davanagere South results are crucial for Khan as well.
Following these actions, some Muslim clerics and leaders had openly warned the grand old party.
In Bagalkot too, the Congress faced initial dissidence, with other members of Meti's family seeking the ticket. However, Siddaramaiah's intervention helped resolve differences to an extent, and they campaigned together.
The BJP, in contrast, saw little dissidence over candidate selection, with its leaders campaigning in unity.
Leaders of Congress and the BJP have expressed confidence about their parties winning both the seats.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP's Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
