#Jharkhand civic employment

[townpostin]

Municipal Workers Meet MLA Samir Mohanty, Plead for Job Security

Chakulia Civic Staff Urge MLA for Permanent Positions Amidst Uncertainty Chakulia municipal workers appeal to local legislator for job permanence, highlighting concerns over financial stability and family welfare. MLA assures considerate action. JAMSHEDPUR – Chakulia Nagar Panchayat employees met with Baharagora MLA Samir Kumar Mohanty on Saturday, seeking support for permanent employment…

[karanmalik1482-blog]

THE NEED TO TRANSFORM: AN INSIGHT ON INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM

Rabindranath Tagore had assessed it long back that the Indian education system needs to change. We live in a society where a good amount of expenditure goes to education, private institutions, and tuitions but despite that, it’s very hard to get the desired employment for most individuals. The increased competition in the education sector sometimes crushes the creativity of millions of students and drives them to commit suicide. Education is treated as a means of achieving wealth. There is a need to think again about & redefine our education system. AISECT Jharkhand, the Top Private College in Jharkhand, has already taken up many initiatives regarding the same. This blog discusses the measures that are needed to be taken in order to change the present education system:

There has been a tremendous improvement in the quality of life with the advances in technology, the young generation must realize how to use this technology for spreading knowledge and culture. The education should be imparted such that each and every child or a student pursuing it develops as a complete human being. Vocational subjects, skill-based activities have to be included in the curriculum to achieve this goal.

Secondly, Skill Based Education is very important. Such courses after graduation in Jharkhand are offered by AISECT. The modern education system is tested on the basis of examinations conducted by boards and universities. The method of teaching is mostly one way but it has to be ensured “Are they learning?” If not, which method would be suitable for each kid in particular; we all are way too familiar with the phrase, “Don’t judge the fish on its ability to climb a tree”.

 Thirdly, Recruitment of Competent Teachers is really important; Teaching is an honorable profession and hence it has to be preserved. Few teachers blame students for their performance but hardly introspect what and where is it going wrong? They feel it as a safe, well paid, low pressure and unaffected by the recession. It is time to recruit competent and superstar teachers. The teaching community needs leaders, self-motivated achievers, and entrepreneurs in a teaching position.

Another important point is that we may have the greatest number of graduates in the world, but that certainly has not translated into much innovation here. Rather, we are busy running the call centers of the rest of the world – that is where our graduate skills end. The purpose of our new education system should be to emphasis on body, heart, mind, cleaning the soul and realization of the self. With the help of these methods, we would be able to create philosophers, scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, thinkers, and writers, who could establish the foundation of knowledge based on economy, quality manpower imbibing moral, social & civic values to the society.

Today, India is not innovative, but once India was the country of innovation and universities like AISECT Jharkhand, one of the top colleges in Jharkhand are helping the cause. Today because of collaboration, invasion, industrialization & privatization, India has lost imagination & the power of innovation. Schools, colleges and universities producing clone teach them western values, western literature, western math, western heroes, these children are becoming totally American or British colonial and totally have lost themselves.

The first quality of Indians is to know about their culture, their own heroes, for instance, Kalidasa was the greatest poet in the world but our children are not aware of him. They should study about contemporary Indian philosophy. Great books like - foundation of Indian culture, the life divine, syntheses of yoga should be the part of our curriculum. So, children could be aware of their roots about their history, literature, & Indian heroes. Indian spirituality & Meditation are very valuable tools of knowledge should be incorporated in the Indian education system.

These are unique in the world so should be taught in school from kindergarten onwards. Abundant opportunities should be provided to the pupil for the development of his or her personality. The present Indian curriculum must evolve a special form of education whereby harmony will be established between modern and cultural education while imparting useful skills.

Source: https://abhishekraghav7.kinja.com/the-need-to-transform-an-insight-on-indian-education-s-1835058611?rev=1559036991725

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 350 local trains to ply in Mumbai from today only for essential service workers; city reports 77,197 COVID-19 cases

08:34 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

West Bengal allows 50 people at weddings, funerals

The West Bengal government has allowed 50 people at marriage functions and funerals during the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown from 1 to 31 July. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said morning walks will be allowed from 5.30 am till 8.30 am, provided social distancing and all other norms are strictly followed".

08:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Gurugram civic body issues guidelines for resident welfare associations

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on Wednesday has issued guidelines for resident welfare associations, to be followed till 31 July during Unlock 2.0. The entry of maids/house-helps be allowed with restrictions, including mandatory use of face-mask, thermal scanning and hand sanitisation at the gate.

If the area of residence of maid or house-helps has been declared as containment zone or large outbreak region then their entry is not to be permitted by RWA: Municipal Corporation of Gurugram

Haryana: Municipal Corporation of Gurugram issues guidelines for resident welfare associations,to be followed till 31st July during #Unlock2. Entry of maids/house-helps be allowed with restrictions, including mandatory use of face-mask,thermal scanning&hand sanitisation at gate pic.twitter.com/IvxhSBMtSN

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2020

08:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Security Council trying again for first COVID-19 resolution

The UN Security Council is trying again to reach agreement on its first resolution on COVID-19 since the coronavirus started circling the global in February, after a lengthy dispute between the US and China over mentioning the World Health Organization, reports AP.

A revised draft resolution by France and China was submitted for a vote on Tuesday and the result is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

07:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Unlock 2.0 begins today

On 29 June, the Centre had announced guidelines for ‘Unlock 2.0’, the second phase of reopening of economic and other activities in the country. These will be applicable from today. Night curfew timings are being further relaxed and curfew shall be in force from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am.

While schools and colleges will continue to remain closed, there have been further restrictions regarding hotels and restaurants.

07:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Global COVID-19 cases now at 1.03 crore

Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 1.03 crore, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 5.06 lakh.

With over 26 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom.

07:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

More local trains for essential services staff from today

Central Railway and Western Railway will run additional 150 and 148 local services, respectively, in Mumbai from 1 July, reports PTI. Only essential staff including those of Centre, IT, defense, Raj Bhavan will be allowed and no general passengers will be allowed yet, the news agency quotes Railways minister Piyush Goyal as saying.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The Railways will expand its suburban services in Mumbai from today and run 350 trains each in the Central and Western Railway Zones, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said. The trains will, however, only carry essential services personnel identified by the Maharashtra government. Mumbai recorded 903 new cases, pushing the total number of cases to rise to 77,197 on Tuesday.

As Unlock-2 begins from Wednesday, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 5,66,840 with nearly 66 percent cases reported in June alone. The nationwide toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a government scheme, which aims to provide free ration for 80 crore people, by five more months till the end of November.

In his televised address Tuesday, the prime minister also said it is a cause of worry that people are not adhering as strictly to rules and precautions during the 'unlock' phase as they did during the lockdown.

Modi announces extension of free ration scheme

Stating the cost to the exchequer in extending the PMGKAY scheme, the prime minister said that over Rs 90,000 crore will be spent on the scheme, and if the last three months' expenditure on account of the free ration scheme is added, then the total budget will be about Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

The scheme was rolled out for three months from April soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noting that July marks the beginning of the festive season when people's needs as well as expenditure increase, Modi said that the government has decided to extend the scheme till November end.

The prime minister also said in his 16-minute address that the Central Government is working on the "one nation, one ration card" initiative which, he added, will benefit people living outside their home for employment and other needs the most.

This was Modi's sixth address to the nation after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic

The prime minister said that each member of a family covered under the scheme will get five kilogrammes of wheat or rice, and every family will get one kilogramme whole gram per month as well.

Modi, however, lamented that there is an increasing "negligence" in personal and social behaviour during the easing of restrictions and urged people to be more vigilant.

"We have also seen that since 'Unlock-1', there is increasing negligence in personal and social behaviour. Earlier, we were very careful with respect to wearing of masks, social distancing and washing of hands for 20 seconds. But today, when we need to be more careful, increasing negligence is a cause of worry," he said and urged the people to follow all necessary precautions.

He also emphasised on strict enforcement of rules, especially in containment zones.

"Those not following the rules will need to be stopped and cautioned," he said, stressing "be it a village pradhan or the prime minister, no one is above the law in India".

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu record most cases

Maharashtra remained the highest contributor to the single day rise in cases, registering over 5,200 coronavirus infections, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Recording nearly 4,000 cases in the last 24 hours, Tamil Nadu has again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the pandemic.

Karnataka also recorded more than 1,100 cases overtaking Haryana and Andhra Pradesh.

Delhi saw an increase of 2,084 cases in the past 24 hours. In June, the national capital added over 64,000 fresh cases to its tally, while over 47,357 patients recovered, were discharged or migrated.

The total number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 15,394 in Telangana, 14,295 in Karnataka, 14,210 in Haryana, 13,891 in Andhra Pradesh, and 13,370 in Madhya Pradesh.

It has risen to 9,640 in Bihar, 7,752 in Assam, 7,237 in Jammu and Kashmir and 6,859 in Odisha. Punjab has reported 5,418 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Kerala has 4,189 cases.

A total of 2,831 people have been infected by the virus in Uttarakhand, 2,761 in Chhattisgarh, 2,426 in Jharkhand, 1,380 in Tripura, 1,227 in Manipur, 1,198 in Goa, 964 in Ladakh and 942 in Himachal Pradesh. Puducherry has recorded 619 COVID-19 cases, Chandigarh 435, Nagaland 434 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 203 COVID-19 cases.

Arunachal Pradesh reported 187 cases, Mizoram has 148 cases, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 90, Sikkim has registered 88 infections so far, while Meghalaya has recorded 47 cases.

Delhi govt sets ball rolling for 'plasma bank'

The Delhi government has set the ball rolling to establish the first-of-its-kind "plasma bank" for treatment of COVID-19 at a facility in the National Capital and its modalities are being worked out, sources told PTI.

The bank is being set up at the Delhi government-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and doctors or hospitals will have to approach it if a plasma is required for treatment of a COVID-19 patient.

Addressing an online media briefing on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the bank will be operational in the next two days.

The move comes as convalescent plasma therapy has shown "encouraging" results in city hospitals, he had said.

Sources said the facility where the plasma will be drawn from one person to donate to a COVID-19 patient, is being set up on the serving floor of the ILBS.

The plasma itself can be stored in the blood bank facility in a separate pack, a source said.

According to experts, plasma needs cryogenic storage at minus 80 degrees Celsius or less.

Bharat Biotech gets nod to conduct trials for vaccine

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to conduct Phase I and II Human clinical trials to develop an indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 —  in the name COVAXIN.

For this, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and BBIL had partnered to develop a fully indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 using the virus strain isolated at ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

"The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) — the office of DCGI has granted permission to initiate Phase I and II Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020," stated the spokesperson of Bharat Biotech.

"The strain was successfully transferred from NIV to Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. ICMR-NIV are providing continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine," said ICMR official.

With inputs from agencies

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[townpostin]

Municipal Workers Meet MLA Samir Mohanty, Plead for Job Security

Chakulia Civic Staff Urge MLA for Permanent Positions Amidst Uncertainty Chakulia municipal workers appeal to local legislator for job permanence, highlighting concerns over financial stability and family welfare. MLA assures considerate action. JAMSHEDPUR – Chakulia Nagar Panchayat employees met with Baharagora MLA Samir Kumar Mohanty on Saturday, seeking support for permanent employment…

[brajeshupadhyay]

08:34 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates West Bengal allows 50 people at weddings, funerals The West Bengal government has allowed 50 people at marriage functions and funerals during the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown from 1 to 31 July. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said morning walks will be allowed from 5.30 am till 8.30 am, provided social distancing and all other norms are strictly followed". 08:24 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates Gurugram civic body issues guidelines for resident welfare associations The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on Wednesday has issued guidelines for resident welfare associations, to be followed till 31 July during Unlock 2.0. The entry of maids/house-helps be allowed with restrictions, including mandatory use of face-mask, thermal scanning and hand sanitisation at the gate. If the area of residence of maid or house-helps has been declared as containment zone or large outbreak region then their entry is not to be permitted by RWA: Municipal Corporation of Gurugram Haryana: Municipal Corporation of Gurugram issues guidelines for resident welfare associations,to be followed till 31st July during #Unlock2. Entry of maids/house-helps be allowed with restrictions, including mandatory use of face-mask,thermal scanning&hand sanitisation at gate pic.twitter.com/IvxhSBMtSN — ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2020 08:03 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates Security Council trying again for first COVID-19 resolution The UN Security Council is trying again to reach agreement on its first resolution on COVID-19 since the coronavirus started circling the global in February, after a lengthy dispute between the US and China over mentioning the World Health Organization, reports AP. A revised draft resolution by France and China was submitted for a vote on Tuesday and the result is expected to be announced on Wednesday. 07:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Unlock 2.0 begins today On 29 June, the Centre had announced guidelines for ‘Unlock 2.0’, the second phase of reopening of economic and other activities in the country. These will be applicable from today. Night curfew timings are being further relaxed and curfew shall be in force from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am. While schools and colleges will continue to remain closed, there have been further restrictions regarding hotels and restaurants. 07:43 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates Global COVID-19 cases now at 1.03 crore Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 1.03 crore, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 5.06 lakh. With over 26 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom. 07:38 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates More local trains for essential services staff from today Central Railway and Western Railway will run additional 150 and 148 local services, respectively, in Mumbai from 1 July, reports PTI. Only essential staff including those of Centre, IT, defense, Raj Bhavan will be allowed and no general passengers will be allowed yet, the news agency quotes Railways minister Piyush Goyal as saying. Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The Railways will expand its suburban services in Mumbai from today and run 350 trains each in the Central and Western Railway Zones, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said. The trains will, however, only carry essential services personnel identified by the Maharashtra government. Mumbai recorded 903 new cases, pushing the total number of cases to rise to 77,197 on Tuesday. As Unlock-2 begins from Wednesday, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 5,66,840 with nearly 66 percent cases reported in June alone. The nationwide toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a government scheme, which aims to provide free ration for 80 crore people, by five more months till the end of November. In his televised address Tuesday, the prime minister also said it is a cause of worry that people are not adhering as strictly to rules and precautions during the 'unlock' phase as they did during the lockdown. Modi announces extension of free ration scheme Stating the cost to the exchequer in extending the PMGKAY scheme, the prime minister said that over Rs 90,000 crore will be spent on the scheme, and if the last three months' expenditure on account of the free ration scheme is added, then the total budget will be about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The scheme was rolled out for three months from April soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting that July marks the beginning of the festive season when people's needs as well as expenditure increase, Modi said that the government has decided to extend the scheme till November end. The prime minister also said in his 16-minute address that the Central Government is working on the "one nation, one ration card" initiative which, he added, will benefit people living outside their home for employment and other needs the most. This was Modi's sixth address to the nation after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic The prime minister said that each member of a family covered under the scheme will get five kilogrammes of wheat or rice, and every family will get one kilogramme whole gram per month as well. Modi, however, lamented that there is an increasing "negligence" in personal and social behaviour during the easing of restrictions and urged people to be more vigilant. "We have also seen that since 'Unlock-1', there is increasing negligence in personal and social behaviour. Earlier, we were very careful with respect to wearing of masks, social distancing and washing of hands for 20 seconds. But today, when we need to be more careful, increasing negligence is a cause of worry," he said and urged the people to follow all necessary precautions. He also emphasised on strict enforcement of rules, especially in containment zones. "Those not following the rules will need to be stopped and cautioned," he said, stressing "be it a village pradhan or the prime minister, no one is above the law in India". Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu record most cases Maharashtra remained the highest contributor to the single day rise in cases, registering over 5,200 coronavirus infections, according to the Union Health Ministry. Recording nearly 4,000 cases in the last 24 hours, Tamil Nadu has again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the pandemic. Karnataka also recorded more than 1,100 cases overtaking Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi saw an increase of 2,084 cases in the past 24 hours. In June, the national capital added over 64,000 fresh cases to its tally, while over 47,357 patients recovered, were discharged or migrated. The total number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 15,394 in Telangana, 14,295 in Karnataka, 14,210 in Haryana, 13,891 in Andhra Pradesh, and 13,370 in Madhya Pradesh. It has risen to 9,640 in Bihar, 7,752 in Assam, 7,237 in Jammu and Kashmir and 6,859 in Odisha. Punjab has reported 5,418 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Kerala has 4,189 cases. A total of 2,831 people have been infected by the virus in Uttarakhand, 2,761 in Chhattisgarh, 2,426 in Jharkhand, 1,380 in Tripura, 1,227 in Manipur, 1,198 in Goa, 964 in Ladakh and 942 in Himachal Pradesh. Puducherry has recorded 619 COVID-19 cases, Chandigarh 435, Nagaland 434 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 203 COVID-19 cases. Arunachal Pradesh reported 187 cases, Mizoram has 148 cases, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 90, Sikkim has registered 88 infections so far, while Meghalaya has recorded 47 cases. Delhi govt sets ball rolling for 'plasma bank' The Delhi government has set the ball rolling to establish the first-of-its-kind "plasma bank" for treatment of COVID-19 at a facility in the National Capital and its modalities are being worked out, sources told PTI. The bank is being set up at the Delhi government-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and doctors or hospitals will have to approach it if a plasma is required for treatment of a COVID-19 patient. Addressing an online media briefing on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the bank will be operational in the next two days. The move comes as convalescent plasma therapy has shown "encouraging" results in city hospitals, he had said. Sources said the facility where the plasma will be drawn from one person to donate to a COVID-19 patient, is being set up on the serving floor of the ILBS. The plasma itself can be stored in the blood bank facility in a separate pack, a source said. According to experts, plasma needs cryogenic storage at minus 80 degrees Celsius or less. Bharat Biotech gets nod to conduct trials for vaccine The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to conduct Phase I and II Human clinical trials to develop an indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 —  in the name COVAXIN. For this, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and BBIL had partnered to develop a fully indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 using the virus strain isolated at ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. "The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) — the office of DCGI has granted permission to initiate Phase I and II Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020," stated the spokesperson of Bharat Biotech. "The strain was successfully transferred from NIV to Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. ICMR-NIV are providing continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine," said ICMR official. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/07/coronavirus-live-updates-350-local.html

[brajeshupadhyay]

23:21 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates WHO anticipates global COVID-19 tally to reach 10 million next week World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom said on Wednesday he expected the number of coronavirus cases globally, now at about 9.3 million, to reach 10 million next week, News18 reported. "Tedros also told a news briefing he backed Saudi Arabia's decision to ban pilgrims from abroad from attending the annual Haj pilgrimage to help limit the spread of the virus," the report said. 22:38 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates With over 70,000 cases, Delhi surpasses Mumbai With 3,788 fresh cases, Delhi's coronavirus tally rose to over 70,000 on Wednesday, surpassing Mumbai to become the worst hit city in the country, even as authorities prepared to conduct a house-to-house screening by July 6 as part of a revised containment strategy in the national capital. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also requested the Centre to withdraw the new system requiring assessment of every COVID-19 patient at a government-run facility, an issue on which the Lieutenant Governor and the AAP government have been having disagreement. Kejriwal said if the administration and police forcibly take patients to COVID care centres for their clinical assessment, it will be like holding them in detention for 15 days. With 64 fresh fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 2,635. Delhi has reported the highest number of cases and deaths after Maharashtra. The total number of coronavirus cases stood at 70,390 in the national capital. (PTI) 21:59 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates West Bengal extends lockdown till 31 July The West Bengal government extended the lockdown as a means to curb coronavirus till 31 July amid rising cases in the country, reports said. "I announce this as the government decision, the lockdown has been extended in Bengal amidst rising COVID-19 numbers across the country. This is in order to help the entire nation. Our relaxations will continue. Schools, colleges and universities will remain shut till July 31. As far as government offices are concerned, the operations will continue in a staggered manner as of now," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying by Times Now. 21:04 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates West Bengal govt likely to cancel final year exams As the West Bengal government mulled over extending the lockdown in the state, reports quoted government officials as saying that exams for final year students in universities and higher education institutions which were to be held in July likely to be cancelled in view of spike in COVID-19 cases, commencement of new session likely to be deferred to October. 19:50 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates First plasma therapy in Amritsar's GMC 'successful' The Punjab government was quoted by The Times of India as saying that the first plasma therapy has "successfully" been administered to two COVID-19 patients at the Government Medical College in Amritsar. The hospital received a nod from the ICMR to start plasma therapy two days ago. 19:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Mamata may extend lockdown in Bengal 'with neccessary relaxations' West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly indicated an extension of lockdown, News18 reported and quoted her as saying, "Except for the dates of pending higher secondary exams and the other board exams which our education department will decide, we are planning to extend lockdown in the state with the necessary relaxations." 19:08 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates Kerala govt makes PPE compulsory in flights Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday issued new directives for people flying to Kerala from abroad. "From tomorrow expats coming to Kerala from Saudi Arabia should wear PPE kits in flights. Those coming from Kuwait without tests should also wear PPE kits. Those who cannot do tests before they start their journey will undergo rapid antibody tests on arrival at airports. If this antibody tests show positive, they will have to undergo RT-PCR, trunet or gene test," he said.  18:45 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates COVID-19 cases in Delhi cross 70,000 COVID-19 cases crossed 70,000-mark in Delhi with 3,788 new cases in the last 24 hours. Death toll at 2,365. Out of the total, 26,588 are active cases and 41,437 people have recovered. 17:50 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates 100th Shramik special train leaves Pune carrying 682 migrants   The 100th 'Shramik special' train from Pune, carrying over 680 passengers, mostly migrant workers, students and their families, departed for Jharkhand on Wednesday, the district administration said. District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said that there were 682 passengers on board the Pune-Hatia train, which was the 100th Shramik special train to depart from the city. "Of these 682 passengers, 618 were from Jharkhand, 57 from Odisha and seven from West Bengal. The passengers include migrant workers, students and their families," he added. So far 1.25 lakh passengers, mostly migrantworkers, have been ferried in Shramik special trains from Pune to different states, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. (PTI) 17:16 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates BMC to purchase one lakh antigen testing kits The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said it will purchase one lakh antigen testing kits to ensure speedy results for suspected COVID-19 patients, PTI reported. The civic body has initiated Mission Universal Testing, under which it will use ICMR-approved antigen testing kits that provide results within 15 to 30 minutes. 16:27 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Can't permit ICSE board exams in Maharashtra: State government tells HC The Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) board cannot be permitted to conduct its pending standard X and XII exams in July in view of the current COVID-19 situation. The government said it has also decided not to conduct its own university exams for final year students in the state in the wake of the pandemic. 15:28 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Railways new directive on ticket refunds indicates normal trains may not start until mid-August The Indian Railways has recently intimated that it will be refunding the entire booking amount for all tickets purchased till 14 April for regular trains, indicating that the chances of such services resuming right now are bleak. According to this given scenario, passengers who have booked tickets till mid-August will now have their tickets get automatically cancelled and will get the refunds for the booked tickets accordingly, reported Livemint 14:41 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update Delhi govt to conduct sero-survey of 20,000 people  Delhi govt prepares eight-point 'Revised COVID Response Plan' in line with recommendations of Dr VK Paul committee. The plan includes conducting sero-survey of 20,000 people across districts and house-to-house screening by July 6, among other measures. 14:08 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update MGNREGA helps to revive jobs in rural areas, says CMIE Aggressive use of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) scheme by the government, timely rains and enhanced sowing activities seem to have helped engage rural India and bring the unemployment rate down," CMIE managing director and CEO Mahesh Vyas said on Tuesday. 13:53 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update India’s unemployment rate back at pre-lockdown levels, says CMIE India's unemployment rate has fallen to pre-lockdown level in the week ended 21 June. The rate of unemployment stands at 8.5 percent as against 27.1 percent in the week ended 3 May, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said, Business Today reports. CMIE managing director and CEO Mahesh Vyas noted that the 11.2 percent unemployment rate in urban India in the week ended June 12 was lower than the average of 25.83 percent during the peak unemployment period of April and May, reports India Today. He, however, added that the current urban unemployment rate is still higher than the average 9 percent in the period before the lockdown. 13:41 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Pakistan Latest Update Emirate temporarily suspends passengers services from Pakistan Emirates has announced that it has temporarily suspended passenger services from Pakistan. "We regret to temporarily suspend passenger services from Pakistan, from 24 June 04:00 Pakistan LT, until early next week," Dawn quoted the spokesperson for the airline as saying in a press release on Tuesday night. The statement further said, "In the meantime, Emirates will continue to operate repatriation flights into Pakistan as per the announced schedule, and continue to operate cargo services that support the trade and movement of goods between Pakistan, UAE, and our global network." 13:25 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs cabinet meeting Delhi: Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi underway at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. pic.twitter.com/kujeNTpiiY — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020 13:20 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update Delhi govt to screen each house by 6 July as cases cross 66,000 With Delhi’s COVID-19 cases crossing the 66,000-mark with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections on Tuesday, the Arvind Kejriwal government has come up with a new strategy to contain the spread of infection, according to India Today. By 30 June all houses in the containment zones will be screened and by 6 July, every house in the national capital will be screened, the government said as part of the new COVID response plan released after meetings between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kejriwal in the last week, reports News18 13:01 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update ICMR says COVID-19 testing should be widely available to all symptomatic individuals Expanding the testing criterion for coronavirus, the Indian Council of Medical Research has said it should be made widely available to all symptomatic individuals across the country. In its revised testing strategy for COVID-19 issued on 18 May, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had advised testing for all symptomatic Influenza-like illness (ILI) among returnees and migrants within seven days of illness. 12:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update Manish Sisodia requests Shah to do away with LG’s order for clinical assessment Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says he has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to do away with the rule under which a coronavirus patient has to go to a quarantine centre for examination, ANI reports. Today I have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to do away with this system as it will create chaos: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia https://t.co/rTt5JdexCZ — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020 12:35 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Chhattisgarh Latest Update 15 BSF personnel contract COVID-19 in Chhattisgarh Fifteen personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) have tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, officials said on Wednesday. With this, the number of COVID-19 cases in the BSF in Chhattisgarh has gone up to 26, they said. With the latest cases, the overall count of infections in the BSF has reached 26 in the state. Out of these, six personnel have been discharged after recovery," a BSF official said. 12:20 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Update 12 trainee sailors of INS Shivaji test positive for COVID-19 At least 12 trainee sailors of the Lonavala-based INS Shivaji, one of the premier training establishments of the Indian Navy, have so far tested positive for coronavirus, officials said. The naval establishment, spread over 800 acres in the hill town of Lonavala in Maharashtra's Pune district, houses a population of nearly 5,000. Out of these, 3,000 are naval personnel, including officers, sailors, trainees and other staff. The rest include their family members, a senior naval officer said. 12:02 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Update Odisha reports 282 new cases in past 24 hours Odisha on Wednesday reported 282 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 5752, of which 1740 are active and 3988 have recovered: Odisha Information & Public Relations Department 11:54 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Update Rajasthan reports 7 new deaths, 182 COVID-19 positive cases today Rajasthan reports 7 deaths and 182 new COVID-19 positive cases today. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 15809 including 3013 active cases and 372 deaths: State Health Department Rajasthan reports 7 deaths and 182 new #COVID19 positive cases today. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 15809 including 3013 active cases and 372 deaths: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/e23zhPjaSZ — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020 11:19 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Over 10,000 patients recovered from COVID-19 in past 24 hrs  The Union health ministry says 10,495 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. #IndiaFightsCorona: 10,495 recoveries from #COVID19 in the last 24 hours, as on 24th June, 8 AM. Statewise distribution in the map 👇🏼#StaySafe #IndiaWillWin Via @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/nyLXAvxyJC — #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) June 24, 2020 10:58 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Govt will look into report sent by Patanjali, says union minister Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Ayurveda Shripad Naik says the government will look into the report sent by Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved and then make a decision on the medicine that the company is claiming to be a cure for the coronavirus, ANI reports. It's a good thing that Baba Ramdev has given a new medicine to the country but as per rule,it has to come to AYUSH Ministry first.They even said that they have sent a report. We'll look into it&permission will be given after seeing the report: Shripad Naik,AYUSH Minister #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/SYJH5RroAt — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020 10:31 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update TMC MLA Tamonash Ghosh dies after testing positive for COVID-19 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Tamonash Ghosh, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in May, died at a hospital here on Wednesday, party sources told PTI. He was 60. The three-time MLA from the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district was admitted to a hospital after he tested positive for the disease, they said. He had several complications related to the heart and the kidney, the sources said. 10:18 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update ICMR says it has tested over 73 lakh samples so far India has tested 73,52,911 samples tested till 23 June. 2,15,195 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 10:03 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu remain worst-hit  With 1,39,010 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Delhi (66,602) and Tamil Nadu (64,603). With 1,39,010 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 6,531 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 69,631 patients have recovered.  Delhi overtakes Tamil Nadu with 66,602 confirmed novel coronavirus cases. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the National Capital has reported 2,301 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 39,313 patients have recovered. 09:43 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update India reports 15,968 new cases, 465 deaths in past 24 hrs India reported 465 deaths and the highest single-day spike of 15968 new COVID19 cases past 24 hours. Positive cases in India stand at 4,56,183 including 1,83,022 active cases, 258685 cured/discharged/migrated and 14476 deaths. 09:39 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update COVID-19 cases surge past 4.5 lakh in India, toll at 14,476 Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 4,56,183, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. The toll reaches 14,476. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 1,83,022, with as many as 2,58,684 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far. 08:55 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update Mamata Banerjee to chair all-part meet today  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Wednesday chair an all-party on the coronavirus crisis, ANI reports. 08:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Update UN invites KK Shailaja to speak on Kerala's fight against outbreak Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja was honoured by the United Nations on 23 June. Shailaja was invited as a speaker to the UN Public Service Day, the only one to be invited from India, reports moneycontrol. The minister presented the Kerala Model at the virtual event held by the United Nations. The event was organised to honour the women and men who risk their lives and health to deliver essential public services amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 08:08 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update Global COVID-19 cases cross 91 lakh, toll now at 4.7 lakh Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 91.8 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 4.7 lakh. With over 23.4 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom. 07:51 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Update 203 more people test positive in Assam The total number of COVID-19 cases in Assam crossed the 6,000-mark on Tuesday as 203 more people tested positive for the disease, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. With the fresh infections, the total number of active cases in the state climbed to 2,282, PTI reported.  📌Alert ~ 203 new #COVID19+ cases detected in Assam today. ↗️Total cases 6056 ↗️Recovered 3762 ↗️Active cases 2282 ↗️Deaths 09 11:40 PM/June 23/ Day's total 203#AssamCovidCount pic.twitter.com/wKRkT2G3Ad — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 23, 2020 07:45 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update UN chief criticises lack of global cooperation on COVID-19 The United Nations chief criticised the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that what needs to be done is to make countries understand that by acting in isolation they are creating the situation that is getting out of control and that global coordination is key. 07:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Update Gautam Buddh Nagar to get 15,000 antigen-based kits for rapid testing Gautam Buddh Nagar, one of the worst-hit districts by COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh, will get 15,000 antigen-based testing kits, which will help in early tracking and containment of cases, and reduction of mortality rate, officials said on Tuesday. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for biomedical research in the country, will provide these kits and also train the health department officials, they said. Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, has recorded over 1,550 positive cases, including 19 deaths, so far, official figures showed on Tuesday. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: COVID-19 cases crossed 70,000-mark in Delhi with 3,788 new cases in the last 24 hours. Death toll at 2,365. Out of the total, 26,588 are active cases and 41,437 people have recovered. As the West Bengal government mulled over extending the lockdown in the state, reports quoted government officials as saying that exams for final year students in universities and higher education institutions which were to be held in July likely to be cancelled in view of spike in COVID-19 cases, commencement of new session likely to be deferred to October. The Indian Railways has recently intimated that it will be refunding the entire booking amount for all tickets purchased till 14 April for regular trains, indicating that the chances of such services resuming right now are bleak. According to this given scenario, passengers who have booked tickets till mid-August will now have their tickets get automatically cancelled and will get the refunds for the booked tickets accordingly India's unemployment rate has fallen to pre-lockdown level in the week ended 21 June. The rate of unemployment stands at 8.5 percent as against 27.1 percent in the week ended 3 May, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said. Aggressive use of the MGNREGA scheme by the government, timely rains and enhanced sowing activities seem to have helped engage rural India and bring the unemployment rate down. With Delhi’s COVID-19 cases crossing the 66,000-mark with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections on Tuesday, the Arvind Kejriwal government has come up with a new strategy to contain the spread of infection, according to India Today. By 30 June all houses in the containment zones will be screened and by 6 July, every house in the national capital will be screened, the government said as part of the new COVID response plan released after meetings between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kejriwal in the last week, reports News18.  The Union health ministry says 10,495 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. India reported 465 deaths and the highest single-day spike of 15968 new COVID19 cases past 24 hours. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 4,56,183, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. The toll reaches 14,476. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 1,83,022, with as many as 2,58,684 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far. The United Nations chief criticised the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus. Meanwhile, The total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 91.8 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE and the overall toll stands at 4.7 lakh. India on Tuesday reported 14,933 new coronavirus cases and 312 deaths, taking the total number of infections across the country to 4,40,215 including 1,78,014 active cases, 2,48,190 recoveries and 14,011 deaths. Amid the rising numbers, the Union health ministry said that India has one COVID-19 death per 1,00,000 population against the global average of 6.04, which is "one of the lowest in the world". Citing the WHO Situation Report 154 dated 22 June, the ministry said the United Kingdom has registered 63.13 coronavirus-related fatalities per 1,00,000 population, while in Spain it is 60.60, Italy 57.19, the US 36.30, Germany 27.32, Brazil 23.68 and Russia 5.62. "In India, early detection of cases, timely testing and surveillance, extensive contact tracing coupled with effective clinical management have helped to check case mortality," the ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, hours after Baba  Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda for claimed to have an "ayurvedic COVID-19 medicine", the Centre issued a statement, demanding details of the said medicine. In a statement, the Ministry of AYUSH instructed Patanjali, which also launched the product today, to refrain from advertising or publicising such claims until they were examined. In the meantime, Novak Djokovic, the men's world number one tennis player, tested positive for COVID-19. Djokovic, who became the fourth player to test positive for COVID-19, had taken part in a tennis exhibition series he had organised in Serbia and Croatia. Delhi overtakes Tamil Nadu as 2nd worst-hit state Delhi's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 66,000-mark on Tuesday with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections, while the toll due to the disease mounted to 2,301. From Friday to Sunday, 3,000 or more fresh cases were reported per day in the National Capital. On Monday, 2,909 cases were recorded. Sixty-eight fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, a Delhi health department bulletin said on Tuesday. The toll due to the coronavirus infection has risen to 2,301, and the total number of cases has mounted to 66,602. Tamil Nadu has reported a total of 62,087 cases. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah countered Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's claim over a new COVID-19 care facility being set up in the National Capital, saying a decision for a 10,000-bed care centre to be operationalised by 26 June was taken three days ago. In a series of tweets, Shah also said that a 1,000-bed full-fledged hospital with 250 ICU beds is being developed for COVID-19 patients, and the facility, to be manned by armed forces personnel, will be ready in the next 10 days. Shah's counter came after Kejriwal wrote to him inviting him to inspect the 10,000-bedded centre and requested him for the deployment of doctors and nurses from ITBP and Army at the Centre. Meanwhile, according to ANI, the administration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to restart its OPD (Out-Patient Services) from 25 June onwards after three months of its closure in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. In the first phase, the OPD services will be only for follow-up patients with not more than 15 patients a day for every department. Delhi's LNJP performs 6 plasma therapy treatments after ICMR nod After getting a fresh nod from the ICMR, six COVID-19 patients have received convalescent plasma therapy at LNJP Hospital in the last one week, out of the total permitted limit of 200 recipients. Two patients are scheduled for administering of the therapy on Tuesday and five other have been screened already, Medical Director of LNJP Hospital, Dr Suresh Kumar said. Plasma therapy was permitted by ICMR on a trial basis but had recently put it on hold. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, 55, was on Saturday administered plasma therapy at Max Hospital, where he is admitted for COVID-19 treatment. 11 wards in Guwahati to be under lockdown from today Lockdown will be imposed in 11 wards of Guwahati from 9 pm on Tuesday, until further orders, ANI reported. Essential services such as grocery stores, petrol pumps, banks, etc, to remain functional, said Assam government. Movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited in the specified areas. All government offices, offices of autonomous/subordinate offices and private offices shall remain closed. All industrial establishments shall remain closed, all public transport services shall remain suspended. Consumption and sale of liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco, etc, in public places are prohibited. Ladakh reports 85 new cases; Punjab decides to reopen hotels Maharashtra with a total count of 1,35,796 COVID-19 cases remains the worst-affected state. It has 61,807 active cases, 67,706 cured and discharged patients while the toll is 6,283. On Tuesday, it reported 3,214 cases. Gujarat reported 549 COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths with the count rising to 28,429 including 20,521 discharged patients and 1,711 deaths. Meanwhile, Odisha reported 167 more coronavirus cases on Tuesday taking the state count to 5,470. In Rajasthan, the total number of coronavirus cases has gone up to 15,431 with 199 new cases. Punjab has reported 162 new COVID-19 cases taking the total count to 4,397. The toll has risen to 105 after four deaths were reported on Tuesday. The Punjab government also decided to reopen hotels, restaurants, marriage halls and other hospitality services at reduced 50 percent capacity. However, establishments must adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures and observe full precautions, it said. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Chandigarh has risen to 415 including six deaths and 322 cured cases. With an increase of 103 COVID-19 cases, Uttarakhand's count of coronavirus cases reached 2,505 on Tuesday. Manipur reported 23 new COVID-19 cases and the total number of positive cases now stands at 921, including 663 active cases and 258 recovered patients. Ladakh has reported 85 new cases of COVID-19 and the total cases have gone up to 783. Five new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi area, taking the total number of cases to 2,189, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Three more personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. Jammu and Kashmir has reported 148 new COVID-19 positive cases — 20 from the Jammu division and 128 from Kashmir division. Two deaths were also reported in the Union Territory. The total number of cases stands at 6,236 and death toll at 87. Karnataka has reported 322 new COVID-19 positive cases taking the total number of cases to 9,721. The toll has gone up to 150 with eight more patients succumbing to the virus. West Bengal reported 370 new COVID-19 positive cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases stands at 14,728 including 9,218 discharged, 4,930 active cases and 580 deaths. Indian pilgrims will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020, says Centre Meanwhile, the Centre has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday. The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for Haj this year, Naqvi told reporters. Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic. It said only a very limited number of people currently living in the kingdom may take part in the pilgrimage. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court  modified its 18 June order staying the Jagannath Rath Yatra, permitting the chariot festival to be held with certain conditions that included no public participation and imposition of curfew in the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its order, the bench said that each Rath or chariot would have to be pulled by no more than 500 people and all of them have to be tested for coronavirus. Additionally, it directed that those engaged in pulling the chariot shall maintain social distancing before, during and after the Rath Yatra. COVID-19 might push 12 crore children into poverty in South Asia: UNICEF An estimated 12 crore (120 million) children living in South Asian countries, including India, could slip into poverty within the next six months due to the COVID-19 crisis, taking the total number of such kids in the region to 36 crore (360 million), according to a new UNICEF report. The report — Lives Upended - How COVID-19 threatens the futures of 600 million South Asian Children — covers eight South Asian countries namely Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. It says that an estimated 24 crore (240 million) children already live in "multi-dimensional" poverty — including factors such as poor health, lack of education, poor sanitation and poor quality of work in these countries. An additional 12 crore children could be pushed into poverty due to the COVID-19 crisis, taking the total number to 36 crore, it says. The reports also flags the negative impact of the COVID-19-related disruption to vaccination, nutrition and other vital health services. With inputs from agencies

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/06/coronavirus-updates-delhi-overtakes.html

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Coronavirus Updates: Delhi overtakes Mumbai as worst-hit city after COVID-19 tally crosses 70,000

23:21 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

WHO anticipates global COVID-19 tally to reach 10 million next week

World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom said on Wednesday he expected the number of coronavirus cases globally, now at about 9.3 million, to reach 10 million next week, News18 reported.

"Tedros also told a news briefing he backed Saudi Arabia's decision to ban pilgrims from abroad from attending the annual Haj pilgrimage to help limit the spread of the virus," the report said.

22:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

With over 70,000 cases, Delhi surpasses Mumbai

With 3,788 fresh cases, Delhi's coronavirus tally rose to over 70,000 on Wednesday, surpassing Mumbai to become the worst hit city in the country, even as authorities prepared to conduct a house-to-house screening by July 6 as part of a revised containment strategy in the national capital.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also requested the Centre to withdraw the new system requiring assessment of every COVID-19 patient at a government-run facility, an issue on which the Lieutenant Governor and the AAP government have been having disagreement.

Kejriwal said if the administration and police forcibly take patients to COVID care centres for their clinical assessment, it will be like holding them in detention for 15 days.

With 64 fresh fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 2,635. Delhi has reported the highest number of cases and deaths after Maharashtra. The total number of coronavirus cases stood at 70,390 in the national capital.

(PTI)

21:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

West Bengal extends lockdown till 31 July

The West Bengal government extended the lockdown as a means to curb coronavirus till 31 July amid rising cases in the country, reports said.

"I announce this as the government decision, the lockdown has been extended in Bengal amidst rising COVID-19 numbers across the country. This is in order to help the entire nation. Our relaxations will continue. Schools, colleges and universities will remain shut till July 31. As far as government offices are concerned, the operations will continue in a staggered manner as of now," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying by Times Now.

21:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

West Bengal govt likely to cancel final year exams

As the West Bengal government mulled over extending the lockdown in the state, reports quoted government officials as saying that exams for final year students in universities and higher education institutions which were to be held in July likely to be cancelled in view of spike in COVID-19 cases, commencement of new session likely to be deferred to October.

19:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

First plasma therapy in Amritsar's GMC 'successful'

The Punjab government was quoted by The Times of India as saying that the first plasma therapy has "successfully" been administered to two COVID-19 patients at the Government Medical College in Amritsar. The hospital received a nod from the ICMR to start plasma therapy two days ago.

19:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Mamata may extend lockdown in Bengal 'with neccessary relaxations'

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly indicated an extension of lockdown, News18 reported and quoted her as saying, "Except for the dates of pending higher secondary exams and the other board exams which our education department will decide, we are planning to extend lockdown in the state with the necessary relaxations."

19:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Kerala govt makes PPE compulsory in flights

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday issued new directives for people flying to Kerala from abroad.

"From tomorrow expats coming to Kerala from Saudi Arabia should wear PPE kits in flights. Those coming from Kuwait without tests should also wear PPE kits. Those who cannot do tests before they start their journey will undergo rapid antibody tests on arrival at airports. If this antibody tests show positive, they will have to undergo RT-PCR, trunet or gene test," he said. 

18:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 cases in Delhi cross 70,000

COVID-19 cases crossed 70,000-mark in Delhi with 3,788 new cases in the last 24 hours. Death toll at 2,365. Out of the total, 26,588 are active cases and 41,437 people have recovered.

17:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

100th Shramik special train leaves Pune carrying 682 migrants

  The 100th 'Shramik special' train from Pune, carrying over 680 passengers, mostly migrant workers, students and their families, departed for Jharkhand on Wednesday, the district administration said.

District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said that there were 682 passengers on board the Pune-Hatia train, which was the 100th Shramik special train to depart from the city.

"Of these 682 passengers, 618 were from Jharkhand, 57 from Odisha and seven from West Bengal. The passengers include migrant workers, students and their families," he added.

So far 1.25 lakh passengers, mostly migrantworkers, have been ferried in Shramik special trains from Pune to different states, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

(PTI)

17:16 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

BMC to purchase one lakh antigen testing kits

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said it will purchase one lakh antigen testing kits to ensure speedy results for suspected COVID-19 patients, PTI reported. The civic body has initiated Mission Universal Testing, under which it will use ICMR-approved antigen testing kits that provide results within 15 to 30 minutes.

16:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Can't permit ICSE board exams in Maharashtra: State government tells HC

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) board cannot be permitted to conduct its pending standard X and XII exams in July in view of the current COVID-19 situation. The government said it has also decided not to conduct its own university exams for final year students in the state in the wake of the pandemic.

15:28 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Railways new directive on ticket refunds indicates normal trains may not start until mid-August

The Indian Railways has recently intimated that it will be refunding the entire booking amount for all tickets purchased till 14 April for regular trains, indicating that the chances of such services resuming right now are bleak. According to this given scenario, passengers who have booked tickets till mid-August will now have their tickets get automatically cancelled and will get the refunds for the booked tickets accordingly, reported Livemint

14:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update

Delhi govt to conduct sero-survey of 20,000 people 

Delhi govt prepares eight-point 'Revised COVID Response Plan' in line with recommendations of Dr VK Paul committee. The plan includes conducting sero-survey of 20,000 people across districts and house-to-house screening by July 6, among other measures.

14:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

MGNREGA helps to revive jobs in rural areas, says CMIE

Aggressive use of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) scheme by the government, timely rains and enhanced sowing activities seem to have helped engage rural India and bring the unemployment rate down," CMIE managing director and CEO Mahesh Vyas said on Tuesday.

13:53 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

India’s unemployment rate back at pre-lockdown levels, says CMIE

India's unemployment rate has fallen to pre-lockdown level in the week ended 21 June. The rate of unemployment stands at 8.5 percent as against 27.1 percent in the week ended 3 May, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said, Business Today reports.

CMIE managing director and CEO Mahesh Vyas noted that the 11.2 percent unemployment rate in urban India in the week ended June 12 was lower than the average of 25.83 percent during the peak unemployment period of April and May, reports India Today. He, however, added that the current urban unemployment rate is still higher than the average 9 percent in the period before the lockdown.

13:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Pakistan Latest Update

Emirate temporarily suspends passengers services from Pakistan

Emirates has announced that it has temporarily suspended passenger services from Pakistan. "We regret to temporarily suspend passenger services from Pakistan, from 24 June 04:00 Pakistan LT, until early next week," Dawn quoted the spokesperson for the airline as saying in a press release on Tuesday night.

The statement further said, "In the meantime, Emirates will continue to operate repatriation flights into Pakistan as per the announced schedule, and continue to operate cargo services that support the trade and movement of goods between Pakistan, UAE, and our global network."

13:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs cabinet meeting

Delhi: Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi underway at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. pic.twitter.com/kujeNTpiiY

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020

13:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update

Delhi govt to screen each house by 6 July as cases cross 66,000

With Delhi’s COVID-19 cases crossing the 66,000-mark with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections on Tuesday, the Arvind Kejriwal government has come up with a new strategy to contain the spread of infection, according to India Today.

By 30 June all houses in the containment zones will be screened and by 6 July, every house in the national capital will be screened, the government said as part of the new COVID response plan released after meetings between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kejriwal in the last week, reports News18

13:01 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

ICMR says COVID-19 testing should be widely available to all symptomatic individuals

Expanding the testing criterion for coronavirus, the Indian Council of Medical Research has said it should be made widely available to all symptomatic individuals across the country.

In its revised testing strategy for COVID-19 issued on 18 May, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had advised testing for all symptomatic Influenza-like illness (ILI) among returnees and migrants within seven days of illness.

12:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Update

Manish Sisodia requests Shah to do away with LG’s order for clinical assessment

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia says he has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to do away with the rule under which a coronavirus patient has to go to a quarantine centre for examination, ANI reports.

Today I have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to do away with this system as it will create chaos: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia https://t.co/rTt5JdexCZ

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020

12:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Chhattisgarh Latest Update

15 BSF personnel contract COVID-19 in Chhattisgarh

Fifteen personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) have tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, officials said on Wednesday. With this, the number of COVID-19 cases in the BSF in Chhattisgarh has gone up to 26, they said.

With the latest cases, the overall count of infections in the BSF has reached 26 in the state. Out of these, six personnel have been discharged after recovery," a BSF official said.

12:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Update

12 trainee sailors of INS Shivaji test positive for COVID-19

At least 12 trainee sailors of the Lonavala-based INS Shivaji, one of the premier training establishments of the Indian Navy, have so far tested positive for coronavirus, officials said.

The naval establishment, spread over 800 acres in the hill town of Lonavala in Maharashtra's Pune district, houses a population of nearly 5,000.

Out of these, 3,000 are naval personnel, including officers, sailors, trainees and other staff. The rest include their family members, a senior naval officer said.

12:02 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Update

Odisha reports 282 new cases in past 24 hours

Odisha on Wednesday reported 282 new COVID-19 positive cases, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 5752, of which 1740 are active and 3988 have recovered: Odisha Information & Public Relations Department

11:54 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Update

Rajasthan reports 7 new deaths, 182 COVID-19 positive cases today

Rajasthan reports 7 deaths and 182 new COVID-19 positive cases today. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 15809 including 3013 active cases and 372 deaths: State Health Department

Rajasthan reports 7 deaths and 182 new #COVID19 positive cases today. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 15809 including 3013 active cases and 372 deaths: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/e23zhPjaSZ

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020

11:19 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Over 10,000 patients recovered from COVID-19 in past 24 hrs

 The Union health ministry says 10,495 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

#IndiaFightsCorona: 10,495 recoveries from #COVID19 in the last 24 hours, as on 24th June, 8 AM. Statewise distribution in the map 👇🏼#StaySafe #IndiaWillWin Via @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/nyLXAvxyJC

— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) June 24, 2020

10:58 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Govt will look into report sent by Patanjali, says union minister

Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Ayurveda Shripad Naik says the government will look into the report sent by Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved and then make a decision on the medicine that the company is claiming to be a cure for the coronavirus, ANI reports.

It's a good thing that Baba Ramdev has given a new medicine to the country but as per rule,it has to come to AYUSH Ministry first.They even said that they have sent a report. We'll look into it&permission will be given after seeing the report: Shripad Naik,AYUSH Minister #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/SYJH5RroAt

— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2020

10:31 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update

TMC MLA Tamonash Ghosh dies after testing positive for COVID-19

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Tamonash Ghosh, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in May, died at a hospital here on Wednesday, party sources told PTI. He was 60.

The three-time MLA from the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district was admitted to a hospital after he tested positive for the disease, they said. He had several complications related to the heart and the kidney, the sources said.

10:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

ICMR says it has tested over 73 lakh samples so far

India has tested 73,52,911 samples tested till 23 June. 2,15,195 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

10:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu remain worst-hit

 With 1,39,010 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Delhi (66,602) and Tamil Nadu (64,603).

With 1,39,010 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 6,531 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 69,631 patients have recovered.

 Delhi overtakes Tamil Nadu with 66,602 confirmed novel coronavirus cases. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the National Capital has reported 2,301 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 39,313 patients have recovered.

09:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

India reports 15,968 new cases, 465 deaths in past 24 hrs

India reported 465 deaths and the highest single-day spike of 15968 new COVID19 cases past 24 hours. Positive cases in India stand at 4,56,183 including 1,83,022 active cases, 258685 cured/discharged/migrated and 14476 deaths.

09:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

COVID-19 cases surge past 4.5 lakh in India, toll at 14,476

Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 4,56,183, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. The toll reaches 14,476. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 1,83,022, with as many as 2,58,684 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far.

08:55 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Update

Mamata Banerjee to chair all-part meet today

 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Wednesday chair an all-party on the coronavirus crisis, ANI reports.

08:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Update

UN invites KK Shailaja to speak on Kerala's fight against outbreak

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja was honoured by the United Nations on 23 June. Shailaja was invited as a speaker to the UN Public Service Day, the only one to be invited from India, reports moneycontrol.

The minister presented the Kerala Model at the virtual event held by the United Nations. The event was organised to honour the women and men who risk their lives and health to deliver essential public services amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

08:08 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

Global COVID-19 cases cross 91 lakh, toll now at 4.7 lakh

Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 91.8 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 4.7 lakh.

With over 23.4 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom.

07:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Update

203 more people test positive in Assam

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Assam crossed the 6,000-mark on Tuesday as 203 more people tested positive for the disease, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. With the fresh infections, the total number of active cases in the state climbed to 2,282, PTI reported. 

📌Alert ~ 203 new #COVID19+ cases detected in Assam today. ↗️Total cases 6056 ↗️Recovered 3762 ↗️Active cases 2282 ↗️Deaths 09 11:40 PM/June 23/ Day's total 203#AssamCovidCount pic.twitter.com/wKRkT2G3Ad

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 23, 2020

07:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Update

UN chief criticises lack of global cooperation on COVID-19

The United Nations chief criticised the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that what needs to be done is to make countries understand that by acting in isolation they are creating the situation that is getting out of control and that global coordination is key.

07:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Update

Gautam Buddh Nagar to get 15,000 antigen-based kits for rapid testing

Gautam Buddh Nagar, one of the worst-hit districts by COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh, will get 15,000 antigen-based testing kits, which will help in early tracking and containment of cases, and reduction of mortality rate, officials said on Tuesday.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body for biomedical research in the country, will provide these kits and also train the health department officials, they said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, has recorded over 1,550 positive cases, including 19 deaths, so far, official figures showed on Tuesday.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: COVID-19 cases crossed 70,000-mark in Delhi with 3,788 new cases in the last 24 hours. Death toll at 2,365. Out of the total, 26,588 are active cases and 41,437 people have recovered.

As the West Bengal government mulled over extending the lockdown in the state, reports quoted government officials as saying that exams for final year students in universities and higher education institutions which were to be held in July likely to be cancelled in view of spike in COVID-19 cases, commencement of new session likely to be deferred to October.

The Indian Railways has recently intimated that it will be refunding the entire booking amount for all tickets purchased till 14 April for regular trains, indicating that the chances of such services resuming right now are bleak.

According to this given scenario, passengers who have booked tickets till mid-August will now have their tickets get automatically cancelled and will get the refunds for the booked tickets accordingly

India's unemployment rate has fallen to pre-lockdown level in the week ended 21 June. The rate of unemployment stands at 8.5 percent as against 27.1 percent in the week ended 3 May, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said. Aggressive use of the MGNREGA scheme by the government, timely rains and enhanced sowing activities seem to have helped engage rural India and bring the unemployment rate down.

With Delhi’s COVID-19 cases crossing the 66,000-mark with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections on Tuesday, the Arvind Kejriwal government has come up with a new strategy to contain the spread of infection, according to India Today.

By 30 June all houses in the containment zones will be screened and by 6 July, every house in the national capital will be screened, the government said as part of the new COVID response plan released after meetings between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kejriwal in the last week, reports News18. 

The Union health ministry says 10,495 patients recovered from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. India reported 465 deaths and the highest single-day spike of 15968 new COVID19 cases past 24 hours. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 4,56,183, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. The toll reaches 14,476.

The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 1,83,022, with as many as 2,58,684 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far.

The United Nations chief criticised the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus. Meanwhile, The total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 91.8 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE and the overall toll stands at 4.7 lakh.

India on Tuesday reported 14,933 new coronavirus cases and 312 deaths, taking the total number of infections across the country to 4,40,215 including 1,78,014 active cases, 2,48,190 recoveries and 14,011 deaths.

Amid the rising numbers, the Union health ministry said that India has one COVID-19 death per 1,00,000 population against the global average of 6.04, which is "one of the lowest in the world".

Citing the WHO Situation Report 154 dated 22 June, the ministry said the United Kingdom has registered 63.13 coronavirus-related fatalities per 1,00,000 population, while in Spain it is 60.60, Italy 57.19, the US 36.30, Germany 27.32, Brazil 23.68 and Russia 5.62.

"In India, early detection of cases, timely testing and surveillance, extensive contact tracing coupled with effective clinical management have helped to check case mortality," the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday, hours after Baba  Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda for claimed to have an "ayurvedic COVID-19 medicine", the Centre issued a statement, demanding details of the said medicine.

In a statement, the Ministry of AYUSH instructed Patanjali, which also launched the product today, to refrain from advertising or publicising such claims until they were examined.

In the meantime, Novak Djokovic, the men's world number one tennis player, tested positive for COVID-19. Djokovic, who became the fourth player to test positive for COVID-19, had taken part in a tennis exhibition series he had organised in Serbia and Croatia.

Delhi overtakes Tamil Nadu as 2nd worst-hit state

Delhi's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 66,000-mark on Tuesday with the biggest single-day jump of 3,947 fresh infections, while the toll due to the disease mounted to 2,301.

From Friday to Sunday, 3,000 or more fresh cases were reported per day in the National Capital. On Monday, 2,909 cases were recorded.

Sixty-eight fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, a Delhi health department bulletin said on Tuesday. The toll due to the coronavirus infection has risen to 2,301, and the total number of cases has mounted to 66,602.

Tamil Nadu has reported a total of 62,087 cases.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah countered Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's claim over a new COVID-19 care facility being set up in the National Capital, saying a decision for a 10,000-bed care centre to be operationalised by 26 June was taken three days ago.

In a series of tweets, Shah also said that a 1,000-bed full-fledged hospital with 250 ICU beds is being developed for COVID-19 patients, and the facility, to be manned by armed forces personnel, will be ready in the next 10 days.

Shah's counter came after Kejriwal wrote to him inviting him to inspect the 10,000-bedded centre and requested him for the deployment of doctors and nurses from ITBP and Army at the Centre.

Meanwhile, according to ANI, the administration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to restart its OPD (Out-Patient Services) from 25 June onwards after three months of its closure in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first phase, the OPD services will be only for follow-up patients with not more than 15 patients a day for every department.

Delhi's LNJP performs 6 plasma therapy treatments after ICMR nod

After getting a fresh nod from the ICMR, six COVID-19 patients have received convalescent plasma therapy at LNJP Hospital in the last one week, out of the total permitted limit of 200 recipients.

Two patients are scheduled for administering of the therapy on Tuesday and five other have been screened already, Medical Director of LNJP Hospital, Dr Suresh Kumar said.

Plasma therapy was permitted by ICMR on a trial basis but had recently put it on hold. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, 55, was on Saturday administered plasma therapy at Max Hospital, where he is admitted for COVID-19 treatment.

11 wards in Guwahati to be under lockdown from today

Lockdown will be imposed in 11 wards of Guwahati from 9 pm on Tuesday, until further orders, ANI reported. Essential services such as grocery stores, petrol pumps, banks, etc, to remain functional, said Assam government.

Movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited in the specified areas. All government offices, offices of autonomous/subordinate offices and private offices shall remain closed.

All industrial establishments shall remain closed, all public transport services shall remain suspended. Consumption and sale of liquor, paan, gutka, tobacco, etc, in public places are prohibited.

Ladakh reports 85 new cases; Punjab decides to reopen hotels

Maharashtra with a total count of 1,35,796 COVID-19 cases remains the worst-affected state. It has 61,807 active cases, 67,706 cured and discharged patients while the toll is 6,283. On Tuesday, it reported 3,214 cases.

Gujarat reported 549 COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths with the count rising to 28,429 including 20,521 discharged patients and 1,711 deaths.

Meanwhile, Odisha reported 167 more coronavirus cases on Tuesday taking the state count to 5,470. In Rajasthan, the total number of coronavirus cases has gone up to 15,431 with 199 new cases.

Punjab has reported 162 new COVID-19 cases taking the total count to 4,397. The toll has risen to 105 after four deaths were reported on Tuesday.

The Punjab government also decided to reopen hotels, restaurants, marriage halls and other hospitality services at reduced 50 percent capacity. However, establishments must adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures and observe full precautions, it said.

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Chandigarh has risen to 415 including six deaths and 322 cured cases.

With an increase of 103 COVID-19 cases, Uttarakhand's count of coronavirus cases reached 2,505 on Tuesday.

Manipur reported 23 new COVID-19 cases and the total number of positive cases now stands at 921, including 663 active cases and 258 recovered patients.

Ladakh has reported 85 new cases of COVID-19 and the total cases have gone up to 783.

Five new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Mumbai's Dharavi area, taking the total number of cases to 2,189, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Three more personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

Jammu and Kashmir has reported 148 new COVID-19 positive cases — 20 from the Jammu division and 128 from Kashmir division. Two deaths were also reported in the Union Territory. The total number of cases stands at 6,236 and death toll at 87.

Karnataka has reported 322 new COVID-19 positive cases taking the total number of cases to 9,721. The toll has gone up to 150 with eight more patients succumbing to the virus.

West Bengal reported 370 new COVID-19 positive cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases stands at 14,728 including 9,218 discharged, 4,930 active cases and 580 deaths.

Indian pilgrims will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020, says Centre

Meanwhile, the Centre has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for Haj this year, Naqvi told reporters.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic. It said only a very limited number of people currently living in the kingdom may take part in the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court  modified its 18 June order staying the Jagannath Rath Yatra, permitting the chariot festival to be held with certain conditions that included no public participation and imposition of curfew in the city due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its order, the bench said that each Rath or chariot would have to be pulled by no more than 500 people and all of them have to be tested for coronavirus. Additionally, it directed that those engaged in pulling the chariot shall maintain social distancing before, during and after the Rath Yatra.

COVID-19 might push 12 crore children into poverty in South Asia: UNICEF

An estimated 12 crore (120 million) children living in South Asian countries, including India, could slip into poverty within the next six months due to the COVID-19 crisis, taking the total number of such kids in the region to 36 crore (360 million), according to a new UNICEF report.

The report — Lives Upended - How COVID-19 threatens the futures of 600 million South Asian Children — covers eight South Asian countries namely Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

It says that an estimated 24 crore (240 million) children already live in "multi-dimensional" poverty — including factors such as poor health, lack of education, poor sanitation and poor quality of work in these countries.

An additional 12 crore children could be pushed into poverty due to the COVID-19 crisis, taking the total number to 36 crore, it says. The reports also flags the negative impact of the COVID-19-related disruption to vaccination, nutrition and other vital health services.

With inputs from agencies

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2Bb2QyG

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus cases see record jump with 2,411 infections, 71 deaths in 24 hrs; barber shops, sale of non-essentials by e-retailers allowed in green, orange zones, says MHA

India on Saturday registered a record jump of 2,411 new coronavirus cases and  71 deaths, taking the total number of infections in the country to 37,776 and the toll to 1,223.

Meanwhile, migrant workers stranded in different states since the imposition of the lockdown began their journey homes in special 'shramik trains'.

Case count surges to 37,776, toll reaches 1,223

According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, the number of infections in the country jumped to 37,776 while the toll rose to 1,223. Over 10,000 persons have been cured of the disease and the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 26,535, it said.

Of the total fatalities, the highest have been reported in Maharashtra (485), followed by Gujarat (236), Madhya Pradesh (145) , Rajasthan (62) and Delhi (61).

Maharashtra continues to have the highest number of infections with 11,506 cases reported from the state. Gujarat has reported a total of 4,721 cases, followed by Delhi (3,738), Madhya Pradesh (2,719) and Rajasthan (2,666).

According to the Uttar Pradesh health department, 127 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, pushing the number of confirmed cases to 2,455. Forty-three deaths have so far been reported and 656 patients treated and discharged from hospitals. So far, COVID-19 cases have been reported in 64 of the 75 districts in the state, officials said.

In Delhi, 68 more personnel attached to a CRPF battalion tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of those afflicted in the battalion to 122. A total of 127 CRPF personnel have so far contracted the disease, including one death and one recovery, ANI quoted the CRPF as saying.

In Maharashtra, as many as 56 persons were discharged from a civic-run hospital in Thane's Mira Bhayander area at the same time, including a three-year-old girl and three septuagenarians.

Meanwhile, 20 visitors to the Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Nanded tested positive for the disease. The gurdwara had been shut on Friday after several pilgrims from Punjab, who returned to their state after visiting this shrine, tested coronavirus positive, officials had said.

On Saturday, Kerala, too, reported two positive cases — one from Wayanad and one from Kannur — taking the total number of cases in the state to 499. With Wayanad reporting a positive case after a month, the district was moved from the green to the orange zone, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Barber shops, home delivery of non-essential items allowed in green and orange zones, clarifies MHA

A day after issuing fresh guidelines for the lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that barber shops and salons will be allowed to open in green and orange zones during the third phase of the lockdown beginning 4 May, besides sale of non-essential items by e-commerce platforms.

However, barber shops, saloons will continue to be prohibited in red zones and  e-commerce companies are allowed to sell only essential commodities in such areas, said the ministry.

The MHA on Friday, while extending the lockdown for two more weeks till 17 May, had lifted many restrictions in green and orange zones.

Sale of liquor is allowed in non containment areas of green, orange and red zones through stand alone shops and not in malls or shopping complexes, it further clarified.

In liquor shops, customers will have to maintain minimum six feet distance from each other, and also ensure that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop.

On allowing domestic maids to work in red zones, a home ministry official said the RWAs should take a call  regarding allowing the movement of outsiders. But health protocols have to be maintained by domestic helps as well as employers, and the responsibility lies with the person who employs maids in case of any mishaps.

According to the home ministry, travel by road (inter-state), rail and air and metro are banned across the country during the lockdown.

The home ministry, however, may give permission in special cases depending on the urgency.

According to ANI, the ministry added that in orange zones, inter-district  and intra-district plying of buses remains prohibited. Taxis and cab aggregators are allowed to ply, with a restriction of two passengers apart from the driver in each vehicle only.  Inter-district movement of private cars in such zones is allowed only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver.

In orange zones, inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed, only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver, in four-wheelers: Ministry of Home Affairs. #lockdownextension https://t.co/mjIqgu2kJV

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020

// <![CDATA[ <script> // ]]>

MMR, Pune 'no-go', says Maharashtra govt

Based on the orders issued by the Centre, states also issued guideline for the third phase on the nationwide lockdown. The Maharashtra government said that in the cities with police commissionerates, a concerned deputy commissioner of police (DCP) will have the power to allow inter-state or inter-district journey. But the movement of people will not be allowed between the areas under Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and other parts of the state during lockdown, it said.

The Karnataka government, too issued revised guidelines which will come into force from 4 May.

Karnataka Government issues revised guidelines on #lockdown measures which will come into effect from May 4 for two weeks in the state. pic.twitter.com/mDdZgytuaX

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020

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Meanwhile, the Delhi government launched an exercise to open liquor shops in the National Capital in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the home ministry.

The excise department has directed four government-run agencies, which are responsible to sell liquor in the city, to identify such outlets which fulfil all conditions prescribed by the  MHA.

DCGA extends suspension of flights till 17 May

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)  issued a circular to extend the suspension of domestic and international commercial flight operations till 17 May. However, the restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA.

Migrant workers head back in 'shramik trains'

The first 'Shramik Special' train carrying 1,187 stranded migrant labourers from Jaipur reached the Danapur railway station in Patna on Saturday afternoon.

Another special train train carrying over 300 stranded labourers from Nashik in Maharashtra reached Misrod Station on the outskirts of Bhopal.

"We have started screening these passengers brought here from Nashik in the special train. After that, they will be sent to their respective towns in different buses," a district administration officer told PTI.

This is the first special train which reached Bhopal after the Centre's announcement to run such services to facilitate the stranded labourers and workers.

A special train with 847 migrants also departed for Lucknow from Nashik in around 10 am on Saturday, said the Central Railway. Similar 'Shramik trains' are also set to provide connectivity between states such as Gujarat and Uttra Pradesh, Kerala and Jharkhand, among others.

Gujarat: A special train carrying migrant workers left from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad for Agra in Uttar Pradesh, amid #CoronavirusLockdown. pic.twitter.com/DBjPVWwXqV

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020

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However, the problems faced by migrant workers continued to make it to the headlines with a migrant worker cycling from his workplace in Delhi to home in Bihar dying in UP's Saharanpur.

Dharamveer, along with a few other labourers, had started their journey from Delhi to Khagaria district in Bihar on bicycles on 28 April, PTI quotes police as saying.

"On Friday night, they halted on the Delhi-Lucknow highway in Shahjahanpur. When the condition of Dharamveer deteriorated, the labourers took him to the medical college where he was declared brought dead," said Circle Officer (city) Praveen Kumar.

In another case, 18 people, including 14 migrant labourers, were found to be travelling inside a cement mixer from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh. "During the routine check-up at Panth Piplai village, about 35 kilometres from Indore, we stopped a truck laden with a cement-mixer on suspicion. After opening the lid, we found 18 people inside," Traffic Police sub-inspector Amit Kumar Yadav told PTI.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for sending "guest workers" in the state to their home states by road or rail. The state government appointed nodal officers in charge of workers for different states and said the the prior approval of recipient states was necessary for sending back the stranded workers.

Modi holds review meeting on agricultural reforms, MSMEs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  deliberated on ways to reform the agriculture sector with emphasis on agriculture marketing, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing the sector of various restrictions with appropriate backing of laws.

The government has maintained that the country's farm sector is functioning smoothly despite the COVID-19 lockdown and there will not be much impact on its growth in the current fiscal, unlike other sectors.

The pros and cons of bio-technological developments in crops or enhancement of productivity and reduction in input costs was also deliberated, an official statement said.

Concessional credit flow to strengthen agriculture infrastructure, special Kisan Credit Card saturation drive for PM-Kisan beneficiaries and facilitating inter and intra-state trade of agriculture produce to ensure fairest return to farmers were some of the other important areas covered, the statement said.

Developing eNAM or the National Agriculture Market into a "platform of platforms" to enable e-commerce was one of the important topics of discussion on Saturday.

The prime minister also held a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen the MSME sector.

Chaired a meeting on strengthening our MSME sector, which plays a pivotal role in economic development. There were extensive discussions on ways to make this sector more vibrant, attractive and ready to embrace new opportunities. pic.twitter.com/b3o9MMZWZj

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2020

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With inputs from agencies

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India on Saturday registered a record jump of 2,411 new coronavirus cases and  71 deaths, taking the total number of infections in the country to 37,776 and the toll to 1,223. Meanwhile, migrant workers stranded in different states since the imposition of the lockdown began their journey homes in special 'shramik trains'. Case count surges to 37,776, toll reaches 1,223 According to the 5 pm update issued by the Union health ministry, the number of infections in the country jumped to 37,776 while the toll rose to 1,223. Over 10,000 persons have been cured of the disease and the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 26,535, it said. Of the total fatalities, the highest have been reported in Maharashtra (485), followed by Gujarat (236), Madhya Pradesh (145) , Rajasthan (62) and Delhi (61). Maharashtra continues to have the highest number of infections with 11,506 cases reported from the state. Gujarat has reported a total of 4,721 cases, followed by Delhi (3,738), Madhya Pradesh (2,719) and Rajasthan (2,666). According to the Uttar Pradesh health department, 127 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, pushing the number of confirmed cases to 2,455. Forty-three deaths have so far been reported and 656 patients treated and discharged from hospitals. So far, COVID-19 cases have been reported in 64 of the 75 districts in the state, officials said. In Delhi, 68 more personnel attached to a CRPF battalion tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of those afflicted in the battalion to 122. A total of 127 CRPF personnel have so far contracted the disease, including one death and one recovery, ANI quoted the CRPF as saying. In Maharashtra, as many as 56 persons were discharged from a civic-run hospital in Thane's Mira Bhayander area at the same time, including a three-year-old girl and three septuagenarians. Meanwhile, 20 visitors to the Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Nanded tested positive for the disease. The gurdwara had been shut on Friday after several pilgrims from Punjab, who returned to their state after visiting this shrine, tested coronavirus positive, officials had said. On Saturday, Kerala, too, reported two positive cases — one from Wayanad and one from Kannur — taking the total number of cases in the state to 499. With Wayanad reporting a positive case after a month, the district was moved from the green to the orange zone, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Barber shops, home delivery of non-essential items allowed in green and orange zones, clarifies MHA A day after issuing fresh guidelines for the lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that barber shops and salons will be allowed to open in green and orange zones during the third phase of the lockdown beginning 4 May, besides sale of non-essential items by e-commerce platforms. However, barber shops, saloons will continue to be prohibited in red zones and  e-commerce companies are allowed to sell only essential commodities in such areas, said the ministry. The MHA on Friday, while extending the lockdown for two more weeks till 17 May, had lifted many restrictions in green and orange zones. Sale of liquor is allowed in non containment areas of green, orange and red zones through stand alone shops and not in malls or shopping complexes, it further clarified. In liquor shops, customers will have to maintain minimum six feet distance from each other, and also ensure that not more than five persons are present at one time at the shop. On allowing domestic maids to work in red zones, a home ministry official said the RWAs should take a call  regarding allowing the movement of outsiders. But health protocols have to be maintained by domestic helps as well as employers, and the responsibility lies with the person who employs maids in case of any mishaps. According to the home ministry, travel by road (inter-state), rail and air and metro are banned across the country during the lockdown. The home ministry, however, may give permission in special cases depending on the urgency. According to ANI, the ministry added that in orange zones, inter-district  and intra-district plying of buses remains prohibited. Taxis and cab aggregators are allowed to ply, with a restriction of two passengers apart from the driver in each vehicle only.  Inter-district movement of private cars in such zones is allowed only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver. In orange zones, inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed, only for permitted activities, with maximum two passengers, besides the driver, in four-wheelers: Ministry of Home Affairs. #lockdownextension https://t.co/mjIqgu2kJV — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020 // // ]]> MMR, Pune 'no-go', says Maharashtra govt Based on the orders issued by the Centre, states also issued guideline for the third phase on the nationwide lockdown. The Maharashtra government said that in the cities with police commissionerates, a concerned deputy commissioner of police (DCP) will have the power to allow inter-state or inter-district journey. But the movement of people will not be allowed between the areas under Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and other parts of the state during lockdown, it said. The Karnataka government, too issued revised guidelines which will come into force from 4 May. Karnataka Government issues revised guidelines on #lockdown measures which will come into effect from May 4 for two weeks in the state. pic.twitter.com/mDdZgytuaX — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020 // // ]]> Meanwhile, the Delhi government launched an exercise to open liquor shops in the National Capital in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the home ministry. The excise department has directed four government-run agencies, which are responsible to sell liquor in the city, to identify such outlets which fulfil all conditions prescribed by the  MHA. DCGA extends suspension of flights till 17 May The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)  issued a circular to extend the suspension of domestic and international commercial flight operations till 17 May. However, the restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. Migrant workers head back in 'shramik trains' The first 'Shramik Special' train carrying 1,187 stranded migrant labourers from Jaipur reached the Danapur railway station in Patna on Saturday afternoon. Another special train train carrying over 300 stranded labourers from Nashik in Maharashtra reached Misrod Station on the outskirts of Bhopal. "We have started screening these passengers brought here from Nashik in the special train. After that, they will be sent to their respective towns in different buses," a district administration officer told PTI. This is the first special train which reached Bhopal after the Centre's announcement to run such services to facilitate the stranded labourers and workers. A special train with 847 migrants also departed for Lucknow from Nashik in around 10 am on Saturday, said the Central Railway. Similar 'Shramik trains' are also set to provide connectivity between states such as Gujarat and Uttra Pradesh, Kerala and Jharkhand, among others. Gujarat: A special train carrying migrant workers left from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad for Agra in Uttar Pradesh, amid #CoronavirusLockdown. pic.twitter.com/DBjPVWwXqV — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2020 // // ]]> However, the problems faced by migrant workers continued to make it to the headlines with a migrant worker cycling from his workplace in Delhi to home in Bihar dying in UP's Saharanpur. Dharamveer, along with a few other labourers, had started their journey from Delhi to Khagaria district in Bihar on bicycles on 28 April, PTI quotes police as saying. "On Friday night, they halted on the Delhi-Lucknow highway in Shahjahanpur. When the condition of Dharamveer deteriorated, the labourers took him to the medical college where he was declared brought dead," said Circle Officer (city) Praveen Kumar. In another case, 18 people, including 14 migrant labourers, were found to be travelling inside a cement mixer from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh. "During the routine check-up at Panth Piplai village, about 35 kilometres from Indore, we stopped a truck laden with a cement-mixer on suspicion. After opening the lid, we found 18 people inside," Traffic Police sub-inspector Amit Kumar Yadav told PTI. Meanwhile, the Odisha government issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for sending "guest workers" in the state to their home states by road or rail. The state government appointed nodal officers in charge of workers for different states and said the the prior approval of recipient states was necessary for sending back the stranded workers. Modi holds review meeting on agricultural reforms, MSMEs Prime Minister Narendra Modi  deliberated on ways to reform the agriculture sector with emphasis on agriculture marketing, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing the sector of various restrictions with appropriate backing of laws. The government has maintained that the country's farm sector is functioning smoothly despite the COVID-19 lockdown and there will not be much impact on its growth in the current fiscal, unlike other sectors. The pros and cons of bio-technological developments in crops or enhancement of productivity and reduction in input costs was also deliberated, an official statement said. Concessional credit flow to strengthen agriculture infrastructure, special Kisan Credit Card saturation drive for PM-Kisan beneficiaries and facilitating inter and intra-state trade of agriculture produce to ensure fairest return to farmers were some of the other important areas covered, the statement said. Developing eNAM or the National Agriculture Market into a "platform of platforms" to enable e-commerce was one of the important topics of discussion on Saturday. The prime minister also held a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen the MSME sector. Chaired a meeting on strengthening our MSME sector, which plays a pivotal role in economic development. There were extensive discussions on ways to make this sector more vibrant, attractive and ready to embrace new opportunities. pic.twitter.com/b3o9MMZWZj — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2020 // // ]]> With inputs from agencies

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