Jharkhand: After Bokaro, bird flu outbreak in Ranchi
Ranchi, Mar 4: A bird flu outbreak has been reported in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi barely a week after the disease in Bokaro district led to the culling of 4,000 chickens and ducks.
H5N1, a type of avian influenza virus, was confirmed among poultry in Ranchi, an official said.
"The Centre in a letter to Chief Secretary, Jharkhand, Sukhdev Singh on March 3 has confirmed the outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) in poultry at Ranchi, directing the state for its control and containment," he said.
The letter from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying read, "The samples from the said epicentre (Jail More, Ranchi Municipal Corporation) were sent...to the ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) Bhopal which confirmed on March 30, 2023 that samples are found positive for H5N1 avian influenza."
The state government has been asked to take immediate measures including declaration of infected and surveillance areas, restricting access to infected premises, destruction of birds and disposal of dead birds and infected material.
Meanwhile, Director, State Animal Husbandry, Chandan Kumar has asked the officials to identify birds for culling by declaring areas within a 1 km radius of the epicentre as the affected zone. Areas within a 10 km radius will be declared as surveillance zone.
Last week, a total of 3,856 birds, including chickens and ducks, were culled in Bokaro district after confirmation of the bird flu outbreak among 'Kadaknath' chicken, a variety of the protein-rich breed.
Symptoms of the infection among humans include severe upper back pain, fever, cough, shortness of breath, cold and blood in the sputum, officials said.
The Animal Husbandry Department has issued an advisory, urging people to inform it if they see dead birds.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
