Bengaluru teen Pranav Anand becomes India's 76th Chess Grandmaster
Chennai(PTI): Bengaluru teenager Pranav Anand became India's 76th Grandmaster after he crossed the 2,500 Elo mark in the ongoing World Youth Chess Championship in Mamaia, Romania.
The 15-year-old, having already met the other requirements that are necessary for a GM title, achieved the honour late on Thursday.
To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points. Anand had scored the third and final GM norm at the 55th Biel Chess Festival in Switzerland in July.
"He is passionate towards chess. Extremely interested and passionate towards the game. He can work for any number of hours," Anand's coach V Saravanan told PTI.
"He is especially good in calculation and end games...they are his two biggest strengths right now," Saravanan said about his ward's ninth round win in the under-16 section of the World Youth Chess Championship 2022.
"Also, the most important reason for Pranav's achievement is the dedication of his family, his mother, father...They have spent so much time on and supported him,"
"If the pandemic was not there, Pranav could have become a GM at least a year ago. He is one of the most talented kids I have ever come across," the International Master added.
Anand had secured his third and final GM norm in Biel by drawing his game against Spain number five GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2619) in the penultimate round.
He had also beaten GM Maxime Lagarde of France (2631), GM Sethuraman S P(2623), drawn with GM Aryan Chopra (2610) and GM Shant Sargsyan of Armenia (2661) in the event.
His first two GM norms came in the Sitges Open (in January 2022) and Vezerkepso GM Round Robin (March 2022) tournaments.
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Treat snake, dog bite victims without demanding money, Min Gundurao directs pvt hospital
Bengaluru: Private hospitals must provide immediate life-saving treatment to victims of snake bites and dog bites without demanding any advance payment, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao said on Friday, stressing that the directive is mandatory and has already been issued as an official order.
The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the Snake Bites Prevention and Control and Rabies-Free Karnataka State Action Plan, organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, at Vikasa Soudha.
Stating that the government aims to reduce rabies deaths in the state to zero by 2030, Gundurao said the action plan focuses on strengthening rabies prevention mechanisms.Anti-rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin have been supplied to all primary health centres, community health centres, taluk hospitals and district hospitals across the state, and maintaining adequate stock has been made mandatory.
He added that private hospitals also have vaccines available and must begin treatment immediately without insisting on advance payment.
"To ensure strict implementation, state-level and district-level joint committees have been constituted to monitor compliance," Gundurao added.
The Minister said the initiative is being implemented with the coordination of various government departments, with non-governmental organisations also extending support.
Gundurao also stated that, “in line with Central Government guidelines, the Karnataka government included all snakebite cases under the list of notifiable diseases in 2024. The guidelines have been prepared in collaboration with NGOs, civil society organisations and multiple departments, focusing on prevention, availability of medicines, training of healthcare personnel and public awareness. The primary objective is to eliminate disability and mortality caused by snake bites.”
Reiterating the government’s stand, the Health Minister said that while free treatment for snakebite victims is being provided in government facilities, private hospitals are also responsible to offer immediate treatment without demanding advance payment.
