Two Bengaluru college students pedal 3,200 kms to pay homage to martyrs at Kargil war memorial
Dras (Ladakh) (PTI): Navigating through flood-affected areas during monsoon and battling typhoid, two college students from Bengaluru pedalled for more than 60 days covering 3,200 km to pay homage to the martyrs at the war memorial here on the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Inspired by the heroics of Army Captain Vijayant Thapar, who died in the Kargil war, the duo undertook the journey and reached out to National Cadet Corps (NCC) units along the way to spread awareness about the sacrifices made by army personnel.
Krishnan A, a BBA student of Ramaiah College, and Peddi Sai Kaushik, studying BCom at St Joseph's University, are NCC cadets and aim to clear the Combined Defence Services examination to join the armed forces.
"We started the expedition in May and reached the Kargil War Memorial on July 24, two days before Vijay Diwas. It took us over two months. The journey was really difficult but the moment we were here, it felt magical," Krishnan told PTI.
They took the Kanyakumari-Srinagar highway (NH-44) hoping to finish the journey before monsoon.
"But by the time we reached Punjab, it was flooded and we thought we wouldn't make it. My cycling partner got typhoid during the journey and that slowed us down for two weeks. I met an accident and for some time we had to take rest. But it was worth the effort," he said.
The duo's excitement know no bounds when upon arriving in Dras, they were honoured and given VIP passes to attend the wreath-laying ceremony on Vijay Diwas.
"On New Year, I was reading a book about Captain Vijayant Thapar who was martyred during the war and was greatly inspired by him. He was awarded the Vir Chakra. I asked my family to name five others who had won a gallantry award. They couldn't name any. When I asked my friends, they went blank too.
"That's when we realised that there is a need for awareness, apart from just a day or two of attention for warriors who sacrificed their lives for our nation," Sai Kaushik said.
The Indian Army had launched a fierce counter-assault, Operation Vijay, to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh in 1999.
The war saw Indian armed forces fight in the most challenging terrains amid harsh weather conditions in Drass, Kargil and Batalik sectors.
Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed to mark India's victory over Pakistan.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
