Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the Mata Sharda Devi temple near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, saying the abrogation of Article 370 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking the Union Territory back to its old traditions, culture and the “Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb”.

“The Valley and Jammu are once again returning to their old traditions, civilization and Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb due to the establishment of peace in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 following the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370 and 35(A) (special status) and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Shah said the inauguration of the temple is the beginning of a new era and that the architecture and construction of this temple has been done according to mythological scriptures under the aegis of Sharda Peeth.

“The Mata Sharda Mandir is being thrown open for devotees on the auspicious occasion of our new year. This is a good omen for the devotees across the country. Mata Sharda’s blessing will now remain over the whole country for the centuries to come,” he said.

The minister also said that the Sharda Peeth across the LoC has been a historical centre of India’s cultural, religious and educational heritage and assured to open it for devotees, on the lines of the Kartarpur Corridor to Pakistan that was opened in 2019 to enable Sikhs to offer prayers at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

The Sharda Peeth lies across the LoC, in Neelam Valley, some 56 km away from Teetwal in Kupwara or 160 km from Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. It became out of bounds for people on this side after Partition.

“Ravinder Pandita ji sought to open the Sharda Peeth pilgrimage on the lines of Kartarpur Corridor. The government will certainly work in this direction,” he said.

The Mata Sharda Devi temple was constructed following a campaign by Ravinder Pandita, president of Save Sharda Committee and a Kashmiri migrant.

On the inauguration of the temple, Pandita said: “This is a matter of happiness for all Kashmiris. The way people are enthusiastic and are celebrating, this has to be counted. This is not just a temple but heritage and Sharda civilization.”

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting on Covid-19 and influenza to review the country’s response and preparedness to deal with a rising number of cases of influenza and a slight increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.

The Prime Minister directed officials to enhance genome sequencing while also emphasising on the need to ensure people strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate behavior, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

In the week ended March 22, India reported a daily average of 888 cases according to the Union health ministry, with a positivity rate of 0.98%.

The numbers are not alarming by themselves and some experts believe that more people are testing themselves because of a flu virus that is going around, and that some of them are testing positive for Covid-19. According to the latest genome sequencing data from INSACOG, the consortium of labs responsible for genome sequencing in India, the dominant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus doing the rounds now is XBB, which is believed to be highly infectious, but not lethal.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the Covid-19 and Influenza situation in the country in terms of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination campaign, emergence of new Covid-19 variants and Influenza types and their public health implications for the country,” read the PMO statement.

On Wednesday India recorded 1,134 new coronavirus cases and five deaths.

Doctors are more concerned by influenza, which has laid many people low, sometimes for as long as a month, primarily because of their lower immunity following an attack of Covid-19. Flu shots are also not common in India, although doctors have been encouraging people to take an annual one.

During the meeting, the health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, made a comprehensive presentation covering the global Covid situation .

The prime minister also reviewed the progress made since the last review meeting on December 22, 2022. He was informed that availability and prices of 20 main Covid drugs, 12 other drugs, eight buffer drugs and one influenza drug were being monitored.

The prime minister was apprised on the influenza situation in the country particularly with respect to higher number of cases of H1N1 and H3N2 being noted in last few months.

Modi directed officials to enhance whole genome sequencing of positive samples with the designated INSACOG genome sequencing laboratories.

The prime minister emphasized the need to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour including wearing of masks in hospital premises by both patients, health professionals, and health workers. He also stressed that wearing of masks is advisable when senior citizens and those with co-morbidities visit crowded areas.

“In my clinical practice, almost all my patients acquired infections by going to large gatherings, flights etc. where there is high potential for exposure. The susceptible population, especially elderly and immunocompromised, should avoid crowded places and take flu vaccine in time,” said Dr GC Khilnani, chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.