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Goa: Two students turn personal phone numbers into Covid helpline | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: When Goa hit the peak of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this month, it was distressing for two final year BSc zoology students of Dhempe College, Miramar, to witness the calls for beds and oxygen supply that were flooding social media. Classmates, Vaishnavi Naik and Rohit Nikam wanted to help, but, as students, neither they nor their friends had the means to gather financial donations. The duo then stumbled on the idea of creating a website compiling all the Covid-19 facilities available in the state.
Naik said Nikam realised in time that patients’ families may require assistance in locating a facility in the shortest time possible and so they turned their cell phone numbers into helpline. Now, overwhelmed with the experience of having been useful to those in need, the two have decided to continue their assistance even beyond the pandemic.
“We would see people putting up status on social media platforms, asking about facilities every day. So we thought instead of families with Covid patients going through this confusion, we will put together all the available facilities on one blog or website, so that they do not have to go about asking,” Naik said.
It was a meticulous task, compiling details of all the available oxygen and ventilator beds, etc.
“We began making enquiries and started compiling the details. We would call a facility ourselves to ensure that the number is working and that the facility is actually available and only then update it on our website,” said Naik, a resident of Carambolim.
Nikam said that it helps that online classes have been suspended for colleges as of now, as the work of updating the data on the website and responding to queries from patients’ families takes up three to four hours every day.
“Our website has been checked 250 times. Besides the website, we have also circulated our numbers to receive any SOS calls. One person contacted us as he required a ventilator bed for a relative. The government had just taken control of beds in private hospitals and we found one for him. It felt good to be of help,” said Nikam, a Vasco resident.
The duo now also wants to focus on mental health issues through their initiative, which they have called ‘For You Goa’.
Naik said they want to help link counselors who are willing to offer free services with those who are on the lookout for such services.
“We want make awareness videos, positive videos, videos where recovered Covid patients want to share their experiences and take this content to a wide audience who may benefit from it,” Nikam said.
“Now, we have created a Whatsapp group as well and we want to keep adding persons to the group till we have at least one person from each area in it and build a network. We want to use this group to receive information faster about any person who needs assistance,” Naik said.



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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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