#FM Sitharaman in Tamil Nadu

[supernews]

Ensure quality power supply at reasonable rates to industries: FM to states

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday appealed to states to build infrastructure and do "energy planning" thereby ensuring uninterrupted, quality supply of power is made available to industries at reasonable rates, enabling them to grow their businesses.

At an event here, she said the Centre would extend all its support to help states build the necessary infrastructure and this does not pertain to Tamil Nadu but also to others.

Referring to her budget announcement of allotting Rs 7.50 lakh crore to infrastructure sector in the country, she said it was comparatively higher to the Rs 5.50 lakh crore that was allotted last year.

"My appeal to states is that they should ensure electricity and it should be made available 24 hours, all 365 days at reasonable rates. Industries should get quality power...," she said

Sitharaman said every stakeholder should work towards ensuring uninterrupted power supply so that 'power shortage' does not occur since it poses as a major hurdle for the industry's growth.

The Finance Minister was speaking at the Stakeholder's Outreach Programme organised by Directorate General of Foreign Trade on the occasion of India signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates and the Economic Cooperation Trade Agreement (ECTA) with Australia.

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#Nirmala Sitharaman #Finance Minister #FM Sitharaman #Power supply #quality power supply #Tamil Nadu #FM Sitharaman in Tamil Nadu

[werindialive]

“I do not have that kind of money to contest…” FM Sitharaman on contesting Lok Sabha elections

In the latest revelation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that she had to decline the BJP’s offer to contest Lok Sabha elections as she does not have the required funds for the campaign.

She also revealed that BJP President JP Nadda offered her an option to contest either from Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu.

FM Sitharaman was attending the TIMES NOW Summit 2024 when she said, "After thinking for a week or ten days, I went back to say, 'Maybe not'. I do not have that kind of money to contest. I also have a problem whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. It's also going to be a question of various other winnability criteria that they use... Are you from this community or are you from that religion? Are you from this? I said no, I do not think I am going to able to do it."

"I am very grateful they accepted my argument... So I am not contesting," she added.

She was asked why the Finance Minister of India does not have enough funds to fight the elections, she said that the consolidated funds of India do not belong to her.

"My salary, my earnings, and my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India," she said.

For the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fielded many of its Rajya Sabha members. The Lok Sabha elections are due on April 19. The Rajya Sabha members who would be contesting in the Lok Sabha elections this time include Piyush Goyal, Bhupender Yadav, Rajiv Chandrasekhar, Mansukh Mandaviya, and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

The FM said that she would support the campaigning for other members.

"I will attend a lot of media events and go with the candidates - like tomorrow I will be going for Rajiv Chandrasekhar's campaign. I'll be on the campaign trail," she added.

For more national and political news India in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

#werindia #leading india news source #top news stories #top news headlines #national news #latest national news #top news of the day #indian politics #latest politics news #political news #indian politicians

[latestinbollywood]

Who is FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Husband? Kids Names and Family Information

FM Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a number of changes in the income tax slabs in the new tax regime. According to the new tax regime, an individual will have to pay only Rs 45000 as tax with an annual income of Rs 9 lakh. On income up to 7 lakh INR, an individual will not pay any tax. She also said that the new regime would be the default regime. Nirmala Sitharaman is an Indian economist and politician. She has been serving as a finance minister and Corporate Affairs of India since 30 May 2019. She served as a defense minister from 3 September 2017 to 30 May 2019. She served as a Commerce and industry minister from 26 May 2014 to 3 September 2017. She has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 1 July 2016. Family Information:- Nirmala Sitharaman was born to Savitri and Narayanan in a Tamil Iyengar family in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did schooling in Madras and Tiruchirappalli. She did BA in economics at the Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College. She did Master of Arts degree in economics and M.Phil from JNU in Delhi. Who is FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Husband?:- Nirmala Sitharaman is a married woman. Her husband's name is Parakala Prabhakar. They met while studying at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Nirmala leaned towards the BJP whereas Parakala was from a congress family. They got married in 1986. Kids Names:- Nirmala and Parakala are blessed with a daughter Parakala Vangmayi. She studied at Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications.

Parakala Vangmayi Parakala Prabhakar is an Indian Political economist and social commentator. He worked as a communications advisor in the Andhra Pradesh government from July 2014 to June 2018. He presented Pratidhwani on ETV2 and Namaste Andhra Pradesh on NTV on the tv channel of Andhra Pradesh. He had been a former spokesman. He was one of the founding general secretaries of the Praja Rajyam Party. He did Master of arts from Jawaharlal Nehru Univeisty. He did a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. Read Also: Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli Visit Rishikesh for Spiritual Blessings with Daughter Vamika Read the full article

#nirmalasitharamanemailid #nirmalasitharamanfamily #nirmalasitharamanhistory #nirmalasitharamannativeplace #nirmalasitharamannetworth #nirmalasitharamanresidenceaddress #nirmalasitharamansalary #nirmalasitharamanwikipedia

[thenetionalnews]

Fuel price cut: Neither fair nor reasonable to expect States to reduce taxes, says Tamil Nadu FM

Fuel price cut: Neither fair nor reasonable to expect States to reduce taxes, says Tamil Nadu FM

Following the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement of reducing taxes on petrol and diesel, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said the Union government has finally heed the repeated requests of the Tamil Nadu government to reduce the fuel taxes. In a statement issued by him, the State Finance Minister said that the prices were egregiously increased by the…

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[timespakistan]

Modi gov't directly responsible for world's worst COVID surge: Ex-Indian FM Since 15 April, India has been grappling with an exponential rise in COVID cases, deaths and shortage of basic facilities. In the wake of the unprecedented crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been facing blistering criticism for the government’s handling of the pandemic, both, internationally and within the country. India’s former foreign minister and ex-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha told Sputnik that despite warnings from various international agencies, the Narendra Modi government has failed miserably in handling the current COVID-19 situation. He also explained how the BJP used the Election Commission of India (ECI) as “its puppet” in the recently held state assembly elections. Sinha left the BJP after he reached ideological dissent within his party in 2018 and recently joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC). Sputnik: How do you assess the work of the Narendra Modi government in handling the current COVID-19 situation? Yashwant Sinha: The problem with the Narendra Modi government is that it starts celebrating and taking credit too early. In January, while addressing the World Economic Forum, Narendra Modi declared that India saved the world by controlling COVID in the country, and the party office bearers gathered on February 21 to congratulate PM Modi for the victory over the deadly virus. All this time, experts were warning that the second wave of COVID-19 is expected to hit the nation soon. All the warnings fell on deaf ears of the BJP government. This is the major reason why we are grappling with the worst worldwide COVID-19 surge and today, we are breaking all the records of daily infections and deaths. The entire health infrastructure has collapsed. A country like India cannot put together enough oxygen for the patients, and the whole situation is in a mess. Now, who will take the blame for this? The federal government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who failed to anticipate the danger despite regular warnings and failed to manage the situation, is directly responsible for this. Sputnik: How did the government handle the country’s economy during the pandemic? Yashwant Sinha: I really don’t think that the economy of the country is in a good shape. The Narendra Modi-led government is extremely good at manipulating the data; therefore, I don’t trust the statistics shown by the government anymore. A lot of people, holding important portfolios, had to resign because they didn’t agree with the government or its reports. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced relief packages of $278 billion (INR 20 lakh crore rupees) for the aftermath of the COVID crisis. Where is the money? Various reports said that the announcements by the government were eyewash and it had hardly spent 1-2 percent of the said amount. This money was specially allocated for the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector and the MSME figures are released with three years lag — therefore, we don’t have a bigger picture. Despite the allocation of relief package for the MSME sector, it is in very bad shape. So, I don’t think that the economic situation has been handled in the desired way. Sputnik: How did the government tackle the crisis of migrant labourers and the unorganized sector? Yashwant Sinha: If things were managed in a better way, then migrants would have never walked back to their respective states during the second wave of the COVID-19. The small business units are shutting down and unemployment has become one of the major issues. The government failed to serve the interest of the country, particularly the unorganized sector and the worst part is that still, it is not thinking about it. Sputnik: Most of the states are complaining about non-availability of vaccine doses. How do you see the entire vaccination process in the country? Yashwant Sinha: Vaccination should be made free and compulsory, like primary education, as it is the only protection we have against the deadly virus. We have to vaccinate all our countrymen as soon as possible. Secondly, online registration should not be the only way to get registered for the vaccination. On the spot, registrations should also be started. Currently, I’m in my village in Jharkhand (It is one of the tribal states of India) and here people are not much aware about online registration. So, for such a populace, the government should mobilise the healthcare and frontline workers, who can go village to village and vaccinate the people on the spot. Apart from this, we must not laud ourselves as a world leader in the pharmacy sector and export the vaccine to other countries. First, we should ensure vaccination for our population and then we can look forward to supporting other countries.     Also, it is important that the cost of the vaccination should be taken care of by the government. I think there won’t be much of a problem with it as the Finance Minister had announced a $1.7 billion health package to fight against COVID-19 and a huge amount of money had been collected in the PM-CARES fund. However, I will still say that the government, so far, has performed miserably in managing this crisis. Sputnik: How was your experience of the West Bengal elections as this was the first time that the BJP had a magnanimous campaign in the state? Yashwant Sinha: I am really disappointed with the way the elections were conducted in West Bengal. The Election Commission of India didn’t act as an independent agency. It was working on the directions of the federal government. Knowing about the pandemic spread, the poll body shouldn’t have extended the polls in the state. A supporter of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wearing a face cutout of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends a public rally being addressed by him during the ongoing fourth phase of the West Bengal’s state legislative assembly elections, at Kawakhali on the outskirts of Siliguri on April 10, 2021. Breaking all the COVID protocols, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah organized huge rallies where people from various parts of the country were brought adding to the COVID-19 surge. Additionally, Narendra Modi behaved like a street urchin during the poll campaigns. He taunted Mamta Banerjee as ‘Didi, O Didi’ (Sister, Hey Sister) or Do May, Didi Gayi (2 May, Banerjee gone). Such language is not expected from the Prime Minister of a country. Modi-Shah duo has always tried to sideline their rivals, whether within the party or outside, similarly they realised that Mamata Banerjee would be a threat for them in 2024 so they only made plans for defeating her, though they couldn’t succeed, and didn’t focus on Pinarayi Vijayan (of Kerala), MK Stalin (of Tamil Nadu). Sputnik: You’ve been reiterating that the West Bengal election will shape up the 2024 Parliamentarian Election in India. How? Mr Sinha: At present, there is no opposition against the federal government, and nature doesn’t tolerate the vacuum for long. Similarly, the political vacuum has to be filled. By 2024, more ably and small leaders will emerge and challenge Narendra Modi. I don’t know who will be these leaders, but Mamata Banerjee is undoubtedly one of those faces. https://timespakistan.com/modi-govt-directly-responsible-for-worlds-worst-covid-surge-ex-indian-fm/19087/

[sharmaheena850]

Budget 2021 LIVE: Insurance FDI raised to 74%, foreign ownership allowed

Budget 2021 LIVE updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting her third Union Budget in Parliament. Sitharaman said the Budget for 2021-22 rests on six pillars – from healthcare to infrastructure. The finance minister has also announced a total spend of around Rs 2 trillion on healthcare and mega national highway projects in election-bound states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.

The Budget speech is being keenly watched by both domestic and foreign investors, various interest groups like farmers, anxious middle class and corporate entities, besides parliamentarians.

As the Covid-19 pandemic hit India last year, the government witnessed a rising expenditure and tumbling revenue, even as economic activity came to a standstill due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. However, the economy is now in a recovery mode. On Friday, the government tabled the Economic Survey 2020, which pegged India's real GDP growth at 11 per cent in FY22. Meanwhile, the finance minister has promised a 'Budget like never before'. At the start of the joint session of Parliament on Friday, PM Narendra Modi said the FM had already announced three to four mini budgets and that the 2021-22 Budget should be seen as an extension of the same effort.

While the country awaits FM Sitharaman's Budget presentation, there are some key issues we must keep in mind -- economic recovery is still fragile and fiscal interventions are necessary; and there are constraints in the government’s execution capacity. Read More

#Budget 2021 #budget 2021 live updates #union budget 2021 #budget 2021 live

[globalexpressnews]

Budget 2021: FM announces Rs 25,000 crore for 675 km of national highway work in poll-bound West Bengal

Budget 2021: FM announces Rs 25,000 crore for 675 km of national highway work in poll-bound West Bengal

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday commenced presentation of the Budget for 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman announced that the central government has planned a massive infrastructual push for the poll-bound states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam. For road projects in poll-bound West Bengal, funds worth Rs 25,000 crore have been allocated. The funds have been assigned…

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[swedna]

FILE PIC: Healthcare workers in a mobile van screening people during a campaign for coronavirus disease, in Mumbai | PTI photo Coronavirus LIVE updates: India's Covid-19 case tally crossed 3.5-million mark with a spike of 78,761 new cases and 948 deaths in the last 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

The country's trajectory of daily new cases of the coronavirus disease is now the highest ever recorded by any country. This means that the outbreak in India currently is worse than it was at the peak in the United States (US) – the worst-hit nation in the world. The country has overtaken Mexico as the nation with 3rd-highest Covid deaths. The death toll now stands at 63,657.

The Union Home Ministry on Saturday issued the Unlock 4 guidelines under which metro trains will be allowed to resume services from September 7 in a graded manner, while political, social and religious congregations of up to 100 people will be permitted from September 21. However, schools, colleges and other educational and coaching institutions will remain closed for students till September 30, with some relaxations for students of classes 9 to 12.

Five most affected Indian states by total tally of cases are Maharashtra (747,995), Tamil Nadu (409,238), Andhra Pradesh (403,616), Karnataka (318,000), and Uttar Pradesh (213,824) and Delhi (1,69,412).

Coronavirus world update: As many as 25,153,562 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 17,276,321 have recovered, and 845,925 have died so far. The US, which has 6,136,955 cases, is followed by Brazil, which has 3,846,965.

Stay tuned for coronavirus LIVE updates

CATCH ALL THE LIVE UPDATES Auto Refresh 03:35 PM India's Covid-19 recoveries cross 2.7 mn, fatality rate dips to 1.79%: Govt

03:23 PM Will ensure social distancing is maintained in metro: Delhi Transport Minister

03:12 PM No closure of markets, shopping malls in Haryana The Haryana government on Sunday revoked its order on closure of all markets and shopping malls, except those dealing in essential goods, every Monday and Tuesday to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Home Minister Anil Vij told the media that the order dated August 28 had been revoked as the Unlock 4.0 guidelines of the Central government did not give the right to the states to impose a lockdown.

03:02 PM Covid-19: Sales of flowers fall amid Onam in Kerala Flower sales are usually high in Kerala during Onam, but this year sellers are facing hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to flower sellers, they have not made profits after the COVID-19 lockdown. The coronavirus pandemic has dampened their best season for business. Usually, during the Onam festival, flowers are bought to make floral carpets for decoration, and for other purposes.

02:53 PM Covid-19: Lata Mangeshkar's building gets sealed, singer and family safe Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar's building has been sealed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 90-year-old singer resides in Prabhukunj building at Peddar Road in south Mumbai.

The Mangeshkar family, in a statement, said the building was sealed as it houses many senior citizens.

02:40 PM Teachers have adapted to new technology, methods in education amid Covid-19: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that amid the coronavirus crisis, teachers not only have accepted this challenge but also turned it into an opportunity as they adapted to new technology and methods in education.

"My dear countrymen, in a few days from now on September 5, we will celebrate Teachers Day. Whenever we think of successes we have had during the course of our lifetime, we are almost always reminded of one teacher or the other. The fast-changing times coupled with the Corona crisis are posing new challenges for our teachers. I am happy that not only have our teachers accepted this challenge but also turned it into an opportunity," said the Prime Minister during his monthly "Mann ki Baat" radio programme.

02:31 PM Maharashtra Police reports 161 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death A total of 161 police personnel tested positive for Covid-19, while one succumbed to the deadly virus in the last 24 hours in Maharashtra, according to a statement from the Maharashtra Police.

The state police have reported a total of 14,953 total cases, including 2,800 active cases and 11,999 recoveries.

So far, the novel coronavirus has claimed the lives of 154 police personnel in the state.

02:19 PM Do gaj ki doori, mask zaroori: PM Modi reiterates social distancing mantra to combat Covid-19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated the need to maintain social distancing and wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We can safeguarding our health by observing, "Do Gaj ki Doori, Mask Zaroori", following social distancing norms and ensuring to wear masks will help us defeat coronavirus. I urge you to follow these guidelines and I pray for your good health. Stay healthy and stay happy," said the Prime Minister during his monthly "Mann ki Baat" radio programme.

Earlier on June 26, Prime Minister Modi said that till the time a vaccine is not developed for COVID-19, all have to maintain 'do gaj ki doori' (two yards distance) and wear face masks.

02:04 PM NCB writes to Andhra CS to conduct 100 pc RT-PCR tests, give Rs 10,000 to needy Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu (NCB) on Sunday expressed concern over the "unchecked rise" of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh and urged the state's Chief Secretary to place immediate focus on livelihoods and health of the vulnerable people.

Naidu, in a letter to Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, said that an alarming rise in infections should be a warning sign that requires greater efforts and decisive actions with empathy towards all sections of people in the state.

"There is a need to instill confidence in the people by providing effective strategies and solutions in this moment of crisis. Only a proactive role by the government would pave the way for the State to recover from the adverse affects of the COVID. At this juncture, the government should focus on twin areas - health and livelihood of the people," Naidu said in the letter.

01:52 PM Covid-19 cases in Odisha cross 100,000-mark The number of Covid-19 cases in Odisha crossed 1 lakh-mark as 3,014 more positive cases were detected in the last 24 hours, informed the health department on Sunday.

The total positive cases rose to 1,00,934.

The death toll due to Covid-19 increased to 482 as another 12 persons succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours.

01:37 PM Global Covid-19 cases surpass 25 million: Johns Hopkins University The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world has surpassed 25 million, according to Johns Hopkins University on Sunday.

With the total COVID-19 cases around the world reaching 25,009,250, the death toll worldwide has risen to 842,702 as of 7 am (GMT), the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University showed.

The United States reported the most COVID-19 cases and deaths, which stood at 5,961,582 and 182,779 respectively, accounting for almost a quarter of the global confirmed cases, and more than one-fifth of the global death toll.

01:21 PM Covid-19 LIVE update: Global coronavirus cases top 25 million The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally has topped 25 million. That's according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The US leads the count with 5.9 million cases, followed by Brazil with 3.8 million and India with 3.5 million. 01:16 PM FM to review implementation of resolution framework for Covid-related stress Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will review the implementation of resolution framework for Covid-related stress in bank loans, with the top management of scheduled commercial banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFC) on Thursday, according to a PTI report. As the pandemic has led to severe economic stress across sectors, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) earlier this month announced to provide a resolution framework to enable the lenders to implement a resolution plan, in respect of eligible corporate borrowers without change in ownership while continuing the account status as standard, subject to specified conditions. "The review will focus on enabling businesses and households to avail of the revival framework on the basis of viability, necessary steps like finalising bank policies and identifying borrowers, and discussing issues that require addressing for smooth and speedy implementation," a Finance Ministry statement said on Sunday.

#Covid-19

[updexnews]

Nothing Wrong with Imports But Why are Ganesha Idols Brought in from China, Questions FM Sitharaman

Nothing Wrong with Imports But Why are Ganesha Idols Brought in from China, Questions FM Sitharaman

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File photo of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Importing raw materials that were not available in the country and needed for our industries was not wrong, shesaid addressing the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit workers via a virtual link.

PTI

Last Updated: June 25, 2020, 10:46 PM IST

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday there was nothing wrong in…

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#China #idol #import #india-china galwan clash #news18 on instagram #Nirmala Sitharaman

[brajeshupadhyay]

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package LIVE Updates: FM begins presser to announce third tranche of Rs 20-lakh-crore stimulus; agriculture, allied activities to be in focus

16:14 (IST)

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package Latest Updates:

FM to announce 11 steps to boost agro and agro-allied sectors

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman started off her presser by praising the Indian farmers, who she said have endured all odds but propelled India on the global stage. She said that she will lay out 11 pointers in total, of which eight will be dedicated to strengthening of infrastructure and logistical needs of the sector. The last three points will be about governance reforms. 

16:09 (IST)

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package Latest Updates:

FM's third tranche of Rs 20-lakh-crore stimulus aimed at agriculture, allied activities

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced at the outset that today's focus will be on agriculture and allied sectors. The FM was announcing the third tranche of Rs 20-lakh-crore stimulus package. 

16:05 (IST)

EPFO not charging penalty from cos for delay in payment of provident fund dues

15:56 (IST)

Markets slips ahead of announcement of Sitharaman's third tranche of economic package 

Benchmark indices closed marginally lower after staging a sharp recovery from the intraday losses and the Nifty ended above 9,100-mark. Sensex fell 25.16 points or 0.08 percent to 31,097.73, while Nifty was down 5.90 points or 0.06 percent at 9,136.85 at close amid a volatile session. 

15:52 (IST)

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package Latest Updates:

FM to announce third tranche of Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package shortly

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce the third tranche of the mega economic package announced by the prime minister on Tuesday

15:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Govt data says doubling rate, case fatality rate improved since lockdown

A press release on meeting of the Group of Ministers or the central government revealed that doubling rate has improved from 3.4 days in the pre-lockdown week to 12.9 days in the last week. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) has come down from 3.2 percent in the pre-lockdown period to 2.1 percent during the last week.  

15:33 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

SC declines plea seeking relief for migrants, says 'can’t stop or monitor their movement on roads'

Rejecting the plea seeking direction to the Centre on transportation of migrant workers stuck in various states due to the nationwide lockdown, the Supreme Court observed that it was impossible for courts to track or stop the movement. 

The plea sought a direction to the Centre to ask all District Magistrates to identify stranded migrant walking on the roads and provide shelter and food to them before ensuring their free transportation to native places.

"How can we stop it?", the bench, headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao, said that it is up to states to take action. 

15:20 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Manipur Latest Updates

Quarantine centre in Manipur sealed after patients tests positive 

A community quarantine centre in Manipur's Imphal East district was sealed after a man who was lodged in the facility tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Friday.

Imphal East Deputy Commissioner Rangitabali Waikhom said the Jamia Galina Aziz Girls School which was a designated quarantine centre was declared a "containment zone" and the building "completely sealed" as per the Manipur Epidemic Diseases COVID-19 Regulations 2020.

15:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Dakshina Kannada reports 16 of total 45 new COVID-19 cases in Karnataka alone

Of the 45 new coronavirus cases in Karnataka, 16 were reported in Dakshina Kannada, 13 in Bengaluru Urban, five in Udapi, three each in Bidar and Hassan, two in Chitradurga, and one each in Kolar, Shivamogga and Bagalkote districts.

  Twenty of the new patients have travel history to Dubai, four to Mumbai and three have returned from Chennai. One patient has a history of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and another was from containment zone in Bidar.

  14:56 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka's COVID-19 mortality rate at 3.4%, recovery at 46.12%

With 35 COVID-19 deaths in Karnataka so far, the state has registered a mortality rate of 3.4 percent. On the other hand, as many as 476 patients have been cured of the viral infection, taking the recovery rate to 46.12 percent. 

"Of the total 1,032 confirmed cases, there were 520 active cases in the state," the health department said in its mid-day situation update.

14:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Confirmed cases in Karnataka surges 1,000 after 45 more test positive

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka surged past 1,000, with 45 people testing positive, the state health department said on Friday. Total number of positive cases in the state stood at 1,032.

14:25 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates

Assam CM urges Centre to extend lockdown in state by two more weeks from 17 May 

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said the state has written to the Centre urging it to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from 18 May. The third phase of the coronavirus lockdown is scheduled to end on 17 May.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sonowal said all states were supposed to give their feedback on the extension of the lockdown by Friday, and the Assam government has already conveyed its stand to the Centre.

14:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Updates

Supreme Court stays Madras HC order asking Tamil Nadu govt to close liquor shops in state

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court order which had asked the Tamil Nadu government to close state-run liquor vends. Following the stay on the high court order by the apex court, the state-owned liquor shops may reopen in the state.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, SK Kaul and BR Gavai stayed the 8 May order of the High Court after taking note of the appeal of government firm Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) which sells alcoholic beverages in the state. 

14:11 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Suggestions sent to Centre on resumption of public transport in Delhi during lockdown 4: Satyendar Jain 

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the Delhi government has submitted the proposals to the Centre for the relaxations that people are expecting from the government for the next phase of coronavirus lockdown 4.

The Minister emphasized that people are stressing for the resumption of public transportation in limited manner.

"We have sent proposals to the Centre. Most people have given a proposal to wear mask in public space and maintain social distancing," said Jain while speaking to reporters.

He added: "The people have suggested that movement of buses and metro rails may be started in limited numbers to maintain social distancing."

13:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

'There's no plan for this sort of photography': PTI's Atul Yadav on the migrant crisis' most defining image so far

"His name was Rampukar — but he didn't tell me that. I only found out a few days later in a newspaper report. At the time, I couldn't even ask him his name," recalls Press Trust of India's chief photo correspondent Atul Yadav, "He was unable to say very much beyond 'udhar (there)' — which is where he was trying to go."

On Monday, Yadav was driving through Delhi's Nizamuddin area, when he spotted Rampukar Pandit (as identified by Hindi daily Hindustan). "It was at around 5.15 pm when I saw him sitting by the side of the road a little before the Yamuna bridge. I stopped my car and pulled over near him," he tells Firstpost, adding, "I then rolled down my window and photographed the man before getting out to go and check on him."

Read full article here...

Image coutersy: Atul Yadav's photograph of Rampukar Pandit. PTI

13:31 (IST)

Sena Bhavan closed after soldier tests positive

A portion of the Sena Bhavan was sealed off for sanitation today after one soldier tested positive for COVID.Contact tracing of the affected personnel is underway as per protocol, an official release said.

13:21 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

SP, BSP express concern over plight of migrant labourers returning home

Amid reports of accidents involving migrant labourers on their way back home, the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party expressed concern over their plight.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet said, "The government is giving passes to industrialists to bring workers to work but there is no arrangement for the helpless labourers returning home who are forced to die of hunger and thirst on the road." "By now, all have come to know that this government is with the rich and against the labourers, farmers and poor. The BJP has been exposed."

  BSP supremo Mayawati said in a tweet, "Videos of millions of migrants labourers, their helpless families on the streets returning home, their hunger and deaths on the way shown on TV are heartbreaking and sad. In such a situation, effective arrangements should be immediately made by central, state governments to help them in their life-and-death battles."

13:16 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra govt forms two coordination panels on COVID-19

The Maharashtra government has  set up two committees at state and district level for better​ coordinationbetween public and private hospitals in tackling the spread of COVID-19. The decision to constitute the coordination panels was taken on Thursday after a meeting between representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Maharashtra Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta, according to the government.

12:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Himachal Pradesh Latest Updates

Man tests positive in Himachal Pradesh's Una

A 33-year-old man in Una has tested positive for COVID-19. "The man arrived from Maharashtra and was under institutional quarantine. He is now being sent to Haroli COVID-19 hospital," Dr Raman Kumar, CMO, Una said.

A total of 74 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported from Himachal Pradesh as of Thursday.

12:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

At least 1,061 Maharashtra Police personnel test positive

As many as 1,061 personnel of Maharashtra Police including 112 police officers have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Of the total infected police personnel, 174 have been cured while nine have lost their lives, said the Maharashtra Police.

12:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Two infants recover from COVID-19 in Kalyan 

Two infants were among 51 COVID-19 patients who recovered from the viral infection at Kalyan taluka in Maharashtra's Thane district, Madhuri Phopale, public relations officer of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation told news agency PTI​.

As many as 51 COVID-19 patients, including a one-month-old girl and a two-month-old boy, were discharged from different hospitals, following their recovery, said the official.

12:26 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

GoM meeting over COVID-19 underway at Health Ministry

A Union Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting over COVID-19 is underway at the Health and Family Welfare Ministry. Senior Ministers present in the meeting include Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.

With an increase of 3,967 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the number of coronavirus cases reached 81,970 cases, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.

12:13 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Over 2 lakh migrant labourers ferried in 145 Shramik trains on Thursday: Railways 

The Indian Railways operated 145 'Shramik Special' trains on Thursday and ferried home close to 2.10 lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the lockdown enforced in view of the novel coronavirus. 

12:05 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Bangladesh Latest Updates

First COVID-19 case detected in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh 

Authorities have reported the first positive coronavirus case in the crowded camps for Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh, where more than 1 million refugees are sheltered.

The person from the Rohingya community and a local person who lives in the Cox's Bazar district who also tested positive have been isolated, Mahbub Alam Talukder, said the country's refugee commissioner.

11:54 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Yogi Adityanath holds COVID-19 review meeting with senior officials

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath conducted a meeting with 'COVID-19 management Team - 11' and other senior officials to review the situation in the state, ANI reported. 

11:35 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Kerala Latest Updates

Plea filed in Kerala HC seeking COVID-19 testing of all expatriates returning to India

A plea was filed in the Kerala High Court seeking COVID-19 testing of all expatriates and other additional safety protocol for those Indians returning from other countries to India, Bar and Bench reported. 

According to the petitioner, currently only those returning from UAE are subjected to rapid antibody test. 

Plea in Kerala HC urging for COVID-19 testing of all expatriates and other additional safety protocol for those Indians returning from other countries to India amid #COVID19 Petitioner says that at present only those returning from UAE are being subjected to rapid antibody test

— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) May 15, 2020

11:19 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Narendra Modi discusses COVID-19 situation with Bill Gates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday discussed the global response to COVID-19, and the importance of global coordination in scientific innovation and research to combat the pandemic.

During a video conference, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates and Modi agreed that given India's willingness and capacity to contribute to global efforts, it was important for New Delhi to be included in the global discussions for coordinating responses to the pandemic.

11:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

World Bank approves $1 bn for India as social security fund for urban poor, migrants

The World Bank has approved $1 billion for India as social security technology fund for country’s urban poor and migrant workers. The focus will be to enable India to integrate all of its 400-plus social security schemes at a technology level, the bank said.

Hindustan Times quoted Junaid Ahmad, country director, World Bank, as saying, "The project will be crucial to rebalance social security towards urban poor, as much as rural."

10:57 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

FM to announce third tranche of Centre's economic stimulus package

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 4 pm on Friday. The details of the third tranche of the Centre’s economic rescue package of Rs 20 lakh crore will be announced.

The second tranche, announced on Thursday, focussed on migrant workers, street vendors, small traders, the self-employed and small farmers.

10:49 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha reports 672 COVID-19 cases

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Odisha climbed to 672 after 48 more individuals tested positive for the viral infection on Friday, said the state health department. 

10:47 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Nitin Gadkari to hold webinar on impact of higher education amid pandemic

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will address a webinar on 'Impact of Higher Education in the post COVID-19 economy' on Friday from 12.30 pm till 1.30 pm, News18 reported. 

10:34 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Badrinath temple opens, devotees restricted to enter

The gates of the Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand were opened at 4.30 am on Friday, news agency ANI reported. Officials said only 27 people, including the head priest, will be allowed at the temple.

"Devotees will not be allowed entry into the temple during that time. The decision has been taken in view of the guidelines issued by the centre amid the COVID-19 pandemic," Anil Chanyal, sub-divisional magistrate of Joshimath, said in a statement.

#WATCH Uttarakhand: The portals of Badrinath Temple opened at 4:30 am today. 28 people including the Chief Priest was present at the temple when its portals opened. (Video Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/Yr6pamv7Kk

— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2020

10:12 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India's COVID-19 recovery rate at 34%

The COVID-19 recovery rate in India stood at 34 percent after 27,920 patients were discharged as of Friday, according to the recent data released by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

10:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India's confirmed cases swell to 81,970 after 3,995 more test positive

India registered 81,970 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday after 3,995 more tested positive across the nation in the past 24 hours. The COVID-19 toll stood at 2,649 with 100 more patients succumbing to the infectious disease. 

Of the total 81,970, there are 51,401 active cases, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

09:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Three migrant workers killed, four injured in road accident in UP's Barabanki

Three migrants were killed, while four injured in a road accident in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh around 2.30 am on Friday. The incident took place when the labourers were coming Surat in Gujarat and were heading towards Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh.

Those injured have been admitted to Trauma Centre in Lucknow. 

09:23 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

Two migrant workers, including a woman, killed in road accident in UP's Jalaun dist 

At least two migrant workers were killed, 14 seriously injured in a road accident in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday night, according to media reports. The incident took place when a DCM carrying migrant labourers was hit by by a vehicle in Girthan village located in NH-27 of Etah police station area, TV9 reported. 

The report also mentioned, that a woman was among the two killed of the total 46 migrant workers in the DCM vehicle. All the injured have been admitted to the Government Medical College Orai.

09:07 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

INS Jalashwa to sail again from Male to repatriate at least 700 Indians

Indian navy ship INS Jalashwa will sail again from Maldives capital of Male on Friday to repatriate around 700 residents of Kerala and Lakshadweep under the Samudra setu mission. 

The pre-embarkation activities have begun and people are being ferried from different points of Male to the airport where emigration and medical checkup etc. are to be carried out. The ship will depart in the afternoon. 

08:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra set to extend lockdown till end of May, will send report to this effect to Centre today 

The Maharashtra government has called for an extension of lockdown in the State till 31 May, and is likely to send a report to this effect to the Centre by Friday. 

On Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with State Cabinet ministers to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the state and the measures needed to be implemented to contain the fast-spreading virus. 

According to a senior minister, a consensus was reached on that the lockdown has to be extended in certain parts of the State, especially in red zones such as the Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions, Malegaon and Solapur.

The Hindu quoted the minister as saying, "It was also agreed upon that the lockdown from now on has to be strictly implemented in red zones, especially in containment areas. At the same time, further relaxations could be given in orange and green zones," adding that the recommendation will be sent to the Centre on Friday.

08:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Bihar Latest Updates

Bihar registers 999 COVID-19 cases as 46 more test positive

With 46 more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Bihar, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state climbed to 999 on Thursday, a senior official said.

08:26 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Air India to open bookings for select repatriation flights from Delhi 

Air India is taking bookings for about 30 outbound flights — mainly from Delhi — for some destinations in the US, Canada, UK, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore and Australia. 

These flights will operate from 17-28 May as part of the Vande Bharat Mission-II to fly back Indians stranded abroad.

08:05 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates

In Photos: Delhi migrant workers walk home to different parts in UP 

Delhi: Migrant workers reach Delhi-Ghazipur border to return to their homes in different parts of Uttar Pradesh. One of them,Rita,says "My home is in Hardoi. My landlord has kicked me out as I couldn't pay rent. My children are young but there's no other option but to walk home." pic.twitter.com/2dPw1Gh5ZJ

— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2020

08:02 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Flight attendants to wear face shield, gown and mask when airlines resume ops

Cabin crew members of Indian airlines will have personal protective equipment (PPE) like face shields, gowns and masks as part of their attire on commercial passenger flights when they resume operations, industry sources said.

Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and AirAsia India have decided to go with the new attire in order to ensure safety of cabin crew members as they are in close proximity to passengers during flights, the sources said.

"While AirAsia India will have face shields, masks, gowns, aprons and gloves as a part of their PPE attire for cabin crew members, Vistara would have a lap gown, face mask and face shield as the new dress code," a source said.

07:44 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

25 new COVID-19 deaths in Mumbai 

Of the 44 deaths recorded in Maharashtra, 25 COVID-19 patients succumbed to the infection in financial capital Mumbai, 10 in Navi Mumbai, five in Pune, two in Aurangabad and one person each died in Panvel and Kalyan.

07:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Maharashtra Latest Updates

Maharashtra registers highest single-day jump with 1,602 new COVID-19 cases

Maharashtra on Thursday reported 1,602 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike so far, taking the state’s overall count to 27,524, according to state health department data.

With 44 deaths registered today, the death toll in Maharashtra due to the contagious coronavirus disease has now breached the 1000-mark and stands at 1019.

07:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India reports second-highest spike in COVID-19 cases with total inching towards 80,000

In the biggest surge in COVID-19 infections in Delhi, 472 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, as India's total neared 80,000 with 3,995 fresh cases reported, the second-highest rise in a day.

While this was the fifth consecutive day of over 3,500 cases being added to the country's overall count, the growth rate of the infection has gradually decreased during this period. 

07:23 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates 

Centre to provide free food grain to migrants, concessional credit to farmers 

The government on Thursday announced a Rs 3.16 lakh crore package of free foodgrains for migrant workers, concessional credit to farmers and working capital loan for street vendors as part of the second tranche of fiscal stimulus to heal an economy hit hard by coronavirus lockdown.

At a news conference, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said 8 crore migrant workers will get 5 kgs of grains and 1 kg of pulses free for two months, while 50 lakh street vendors rendered jobless by the lockdown would be given a working capital loan of Rs 10,000 each.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package Latest Updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce the third tranche of the mega economic package announced by the prime minister on Tuesday

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka surged past 1,000, with 45 people testing positive, the state health department said on Friday. Total number of positive cases in the state stood at 1,032.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court order which had asked the Tamil Nadu government to close state-run liquor vends. Following the stay on the high court order by the apex court, the state-owned liquor shops may reopen in the state.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, SK Kaul and BR Gavai stayed the 8 May order of the High Court after taking note of the appeal of government firm Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) which sells alcoholic beverages in the state

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said the state has written to the Centre urging it to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from 18 May. The third phase of the coronavirus lockdown is scheduled to end on 17 May.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sonowal said all states were supposed to give their feedback on the extension of the lockdown by Friday, and the Assam government has already conveyed its stand to the Centre.

As many as 1,061 personnel of Maharashtra Police including 112 police officers have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Of the total infected police personnel, 174 have been cured while nine have lost their lives, said the Maharashtra Police.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 4 pm on Friday. The details of the third tranche of the Centre’s economic rescue package of Rs 20 lakh crore will be announced.

The second tranche, announced on Thursday, focussed on migrant workers, street vendors, small traders, the self-employed and small farmers.

The World Bank has approved $1 billion for India as social security technology fund for country’s urban poor and migrant workers. The focus will be to enable India to integrate all of its 400-plus social security schemes at a technology level, the bank said.

Hindustan Times quoted Junaid Ahmad, country director, World Bank, as saying, "The project will be crucial to rebalance social security towards urban poor, as much as rural."

India registered 81,970 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday after 3,995 more tested positive across the nation in the past 24 hours. The COVID-19 toll stood at 2,649 with 100 more patients succumbing to the infectious disease.

Of the total 81,970, there are 51,401 active cases, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Indian navy ship INS Jalashwa will sail again from Maldives capital of Male on Friday to repatriate around 700 residents of Kerala and Lakshadweep under the Samudra setu mission.

The pre-embarkation activities have begun and people are being ferried from different points of Male to the airport where emigration and medical checkup etc. are to be carried out. The ship will depart in the afternoon.

At least two migrant workers were killed, 14 seriously injured in a road accident in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday night, according to media reports. The incident took place when a DCM carrying migrant labourers was hit by a vehicle in Girthan village located in NH-27 of Etah police station area, TV9 reported.

The report also mentioned, that a woman was among the two killed of the total 46 migrant workers in the DCM vehicle. All the injured have been admitted to the Government Medical College Orai.

The Maharashtra government has called for an extension of lockdown in the State till 31 May, and is likely to send a report to this effect to the Centre by Friday.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with State Cabinet ministers to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the state and the measures needed to be implemented to contain the fast-spreading virus.

According to a senior minister, a consensus was reached on that the lockdown has to be extended in certain parts of the State, especially in red zones such as the Mumbai and Pune metropolitan regions, Malegaon and Solapur.

The Hindu quoted the minister as saying, "It was also agreed upon that the lockdown from now on has to be strictly implemented in red zones, especially in containment areas. At the same time, further relaxations could be given in orange and green zones," adding that the recommendation will be sent to the Centre on Friday.

Maharashtra on Thursday reported 1,602 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike so far, taking the state’s overall count to 27,524, according to state health department data.

With 44 deaths registered today, the death toll in Maharashtra due to the contagious coronavirus disease has now breached the 1000-mark and stands at 1019.

The number of deaths from COVID-19 disease rose to 2,549 and the number of cases climbed to 78,003 on Thursday, registering an increase of 134 fatalities and 3,722 infections in the last 24 hours since Wednesday 8 am, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 49,219 while 26,234 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

Meanwhile, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the media for the second day in a row, and spelt out more details of the Centre's Rs 20-lakh-crore special economic package. She said the second tranche of economic stimulus package will be for the benefit of migrant workers, street vendors and small farmers.

FM announces concessional credit for farmers, free food grains for migrants

Sitharaman on Thursday announced a Rs 3.16 lakh crore package comprising free food grains for migrant workers, Rs 2 lakh crore concessional credit to small farmers and working capital loan for street vendors in a bid to help those hit hard by the nationwide lockdown.

Together with the Wednesday's Rs 5.94 lakh crore package that mostly comprised off-budget credit line and support to small businesses, shadow banks and electricity distribution companies, the government has unveiled over Rs 9 lakh crore plans out of the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to heal Asia's third-largest economy that was seen hurtling towards its first full-year contraction in four decades.

Sitharaman said each of the eight crore migrant workers, who had to leave their workplaces after imposition of the lockdown on 25 March, will get 5 kg grains and 1 kg pulses free for two months.

Also, 50 lakh street vendors who were rendered jobless as the government ordered stay-at-home would be given a working capital loan of Rs 10,000 each to restart their businesses.

For farmers, the finance minister announced a Rs 2 lakh crore concessional credit through Kisan Credits Cards, benefiting as many as 2.5 crore farmers.

However, the Congress criticised the economic package as a "jumla" saying it has so far been way short of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised and the entire press conference of the finance minister was classic display of "arrogance, ignorance and insensitivity".

Senior spokesperson of the party Anand Sharma said the country believed that Modi was serious when he made the "dramatic" announcement of giving 10 percent of the GDP as a package to revive the economy and support workers and migrant labourers and that expectations had soared.

"The finance minister's announcement dashed all hopes," he said.

State-wise deaths and cases

India has reported a total 134 deaths deaths since Wednesday morning, of which 54 were in Maharashtra, 29 in Gujarat, 20 in Delhi, 9 in West Bengal, seven in Madhya Pradesh, four in Rajasthan, three in Tamil Nadu, two each in Telangana and Karnataka and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

Of the 2,549 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 975 fatalities, Gujarat comes second with 566 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 232, West Bengal at 207, Rajasthan at 121, Delhi at 106, Uttar Pradesh at 83, Tamil Nadu at 64 and Andhra Pradesh at 47.

The toll reached 34 in Telangana, 33 in Karnataka and 32 in Punjab on Thursday. Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir have reported 11 fatalities each due to the respiratory disease while Bihar has registered seven and Kerala has reported four deaths.

Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Odisha have recorded three COVID-19 fatalities each while Himachal Pradesh and Assam have reported two deaths each. Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Puducherry have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data.

According to the ministry's website, more than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities.

According to the health ministry data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra at 25,922, followed by Gujarat at 9,267, Tamil Nadu at 9,227, Delhi at 7,998, Rajasthan at 4,328, Madhya Pradesh at 4,173 and Uttar Pradesh at 3,729.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 2,290 in West Bengal, 2,137 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,924 in Punjab. It has risen to 1,367 in Telangana, 971 in Jammu and Kashmir, 959 in Karnataka, 940 in Bihar and 793 in Haryana.

Kerala has reported 534 coronavirus cases so far, while Odisha has 538 cases. A total of 187 people have been infected with the virus in Chandigarh and 173 in Jharkhand.

Tripura has reported 155 cases, Assam has 80 cases, Uttarakhand has 72, Himachal Pradesh has 66 cases, Chhattisgarh has 59 and Ladakh has registered 43 cases so far.

Thirty-three COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Meghalaya and Puducherry have registered 13 cases each while Goa has seven COVID-19 cases.

Manipur has two cases. Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have reported a case each till now.

Doubling time has slowed to 13.9 days, says health minister

The doubling time of novel coronavirus cases has slowed to 13.9 days in the last three days and India now has a capacity of 1,00,000 COVID-19 tests per day with nearly 20 lakh carried out till now, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

Vardhan, who visited the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi and dedicated a COBAS 6800 testing machine to the nation, said 14 states and Union territories have not reported any case of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

These states and UTs are Gujarat, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Puducherry.

Also, Daman and Diu, Sikkim, Nagaland and Lakshadweep have not reported any cases so far.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to use one time RT-PCR based pooled sampling for COVID-19 screening of migrant workers and returnees from abroad kept in quarantine facilities.

The same testing technique would also be used for monitoring in green zone districts which have reported no cases till now or in the last 21 days, the health ministry said while issuing "Guidelines for RT-PCR based pooled sampling for migrants/returnees from abroad/green zones".

806 shramik special trains brought into operation till now, says Railways

The Railways has operated 806 shramik special trains since 1 May, ferrying home 10 lakh migrant workers who were stranded in various parts of the country due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, officials said on Thursday. Of these, Uttar Pradesh received the maximum number of trains followed by Bihar, they said.

"As on 14 May, 2020, a total of 806 'shramik special' trains have been operationalised from various states across the country. More than 10 lakh passengers have reached their home state.

"Trains are being run by the Railways only after concurrence is given both by the state which is sending the passengers and the state which is receiving them," the railways said.

Out of the 806 trains which have been operated so far, 166 are in transit while 640 have terminated at various stations. Sixty-three more are in the pipeline, an official said.

These 806 trains were terminated in various states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

With inputs from PTI

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Coronavirus in India: Death toll at 2; States get into lockdown mode

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Coronavirus in India: Death toll at 2; States get into lockdown mode

New Delhi | Mumbai: A 69-year-old woman from west Delhi suffering from Covid-19 died on Friday, taking the toll to two a day after Karnataka confirmed death of a 76-year-old man on Thursday.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India rose to 81 and state governments around the country went into battle mode, closing schools and colleges, entertainment venues and malls. Experts said the next month will be vital in determining whether community transmission will happen in the country.

High-profile events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed by two weeks, while novel coronavirus-related disruptions continued in sectors like aviation and restaurants, as well in bluechip institutions like IIMs, which postponed foreign faculty intakes and cancelled many campus events.

Experts at the Indian Council of Medical Research said community transmission — the disease spreading from people with no travel history to severely affected countries — has to be taken seriously after India has reported two deaths. In Karnataka’s Kalaburagi town, 46 people who were in direct contact with the elderly man who died on Tuesday night were placed under quarantine.

FM, CEA Strike a Positive Note There was some good news, too. All 112 people admitted to an ITBP quarantine facility in Delhi for over a fortnight tested negative for the novel coronavirus. All of them were evacuated last month from Wuhan in China.

Both finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and chief economic advisor K Subramanian struck a note of optimism saying the government was in full engagement mode with the industry as well as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for any specific or broadbased policy response that may be required. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a SAARC-wide coordinated response.

“Each department is spending a lot of time to see how best relief can be given,” the FM said, while the CEA said “markets are not reflecting India’s economic fundamentals”.

Army sources told PTI that a man who had returned from Italy this week tested positive at the force’s Manesar quarantine facility in Haryana. Officials in Maharashtra also said two more in Nagpur tested positive for the disease.

Union health ministry officials did not immediately confirm the cases in Maharashtra and Manesar. Giving a breakup, the health ministry said Delhi has reported six positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 10. Karnataka has five patients, Maharashtra 11 and Ladakh three suffering from Covid-19.

Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each. Kerala has recorded 17 cases, including three patients discharged last month after they recovered from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms. The confirmed cases include 17 foreigners — 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian who was in Uttar Pradesh.

PARLIAMENT SESSION TO GO ON Responding to speculation over the ongoing Budget Session being shortened, Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi told PTI, “There is no question of curtailing the session.”

While states such as Karnataka, Odisha, Delhi, Bihar and Maharashtra went into virtual shutdown mode, others like Jharkhand, Haryana and Punjab have taken similar precautionary measures.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deferred this year’s IPL cricket tournament from March 29 to April 15. “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation,” said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a statement.

India’s remaining two one-day matches against South Africa have also been cancelled.

The decision came hours after the Delhi government, which on Thursday announced that schools, colleges and cinema halls would be shut till March 31, said it was also stopping all sports gatherings, including IPL 2020. Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia have suspended classes for now.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday announced a lockdown of universities, malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for a week and instructed against holding exhibitions, conferences, marriage and birthday parties.

Maharashtra followed suit on the same day with CM Uddhav Thackeray ordering closure of all theatres, gyms, swimming pools, auditoriums from Friday midnight in Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur.

Airlines reported high numbers of cancellations for domestic flights and expect worse in days to come. And many are shelving plans for leasing aircraft. And India’s restaurateurs have asked the industry body to negotiate with local authorities and malls to reduce payment obligations like rents, given the steep fall in business.

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#Politics

[swedna]

The Centre on Sunday announced plans to privatise PSUs in non-strategic sectors and suspend loan default-triggered bankruptcy filings for one year in the fifth and final tranche of its economic stimulus package that together with RBI's liquidity measures totalled to about Rs 21 lakh crore but entailed less than 10 per cent cash outgo from government coffers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, whose previous four parts of the stimulus package involved credit line to small businesses and new fund creations to be shouldered by banks and financial institutions with very little extra budget spending, announced a Rs 40,000 crore hike in allocation for the rural employment guarantee scheme to provide jobs to migrant workers.

She also raised the threshold of insolvency proceedings to help the industry deal with Covid-19 pains.

ALSO READ: Fifth tranche of economic package: 7 measures announced by FM today

The government also announced a new policy for companies under state control, saying PSUs in non-strategic sectors will be privatised while those in the identified strategic sector would be capped at four, with the rest to be merged or sold.

Sitharaman said the five-part stimulus together with the March 26 announcement of free foodgrain and cooking gas to poor and some cash to vulnerable sections for three months and RBI's Rs 8.01 trilliuon worth of liquidity measures swell the size of the Covid-19 economic package to Rs 20.97 trillion.

While she refused to say what would be the extra spending by the government, analysts pegged it at no more than Rs 2.10 trillion after considering the March 26 announcement, free foodgrains to migrant workers, increased allocation for MGNREGS, tax relief to certain sections and Rs 15,000 crore allocated to the healthcare sector to deal with the pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge of total spending of Rs 20 trillion ($265 billion) to weather the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic under 'Atma-nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' is about 10 per cent of India's GDP in 2019-20 and ranks behind stimulus provided by Japan, the US, Sweden, Australia and Germany.

ALSO READ: 1.2 mn EPFO members withdrew Rs 3,360 cr of savings during lockdown: FM

With global lockdowns imposed to check the spread of Covid-19 causing economic turmoil that is touted to be worst since the 1930s, nations have announced what came to be known as 'coronavirus stimulus packages'. The US has committed to the largest rescue package by any country in pure dollar terms at $2.7 trillion.

In the fifth and final tranche of the economic stimulus package, Sitharaman raised the allocation for the employment guarantee scheme by Rs 40,000 crore over and above the Rs 61,000 crore budgeted for MGNREGS to provide jobs to migrant workers moving back to their states.

This, she said, will help generate nearly 300 crore person-days in total. For industries, she said the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings will be raised to Rs 1 crore from Rs 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs from bankruptcy on defaulting on loans.

ALSO READ: Economic stimulus includes Rs 8 trillion liquidity measures by RBI: FM

Also, a special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs under Section 240A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will be notified soon, she said, adding fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings will be suspended for up to one year depending upon the pandemic situation.

Covid-19 related debt will be excluded from the definition of "default" under the IBC for the purpose of triggering insolvency proceedings, she said, adding the changes will be effected by promulgating an ordinance.

Additionally, minor technical and procedural defaults under the Companies Act, such as shortcomings in CSR reporting, inadequacies in board reports, filing defaults and delay in holding AGMs, will be decriminalised.

Sitharaman said companies will be permitted to directly list securities in permissible foreign jurisdictions. Private companies that list non-convertible debentures (NCDs) on stock exchanges will not be regarded as listed companies.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus Live: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu extend lockdown till May 31

There will be lower penalties for all defaults for small companies, one-person companies, producer companies, and start-ups, she said, adding the required changes in the Companies Act would also be done via an ordinance.

Announcing a new public sector enterprises (PSEs) policy, she said a list of strategic sectors requiring the presence of PSUs in the public interest will be notified.

In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but the private sector will also be allowed.

In other sectors, PSUs will be privatised, she said, adding the timing would be based on feasibility.

"To minimise wasteful administrative costs, the number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be only one to four. Others will be privatised/ merged/ brought under holding companies," she said.

For states, she said the Centre has acceded to their request and increased borrowing limit from 3 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to 5 per cent for 2020-21 only, giving them extra resources of Rs 4.28 lakh crore.

But the increased borrowing limit would be linked to specific reforms such as one-nation-one-ration-card, ease of doing business, power distribution and urban local body revenues.

Sitharaman's previous measures included a variety of steps for small businesses, street vendors, farmers and poor migrants as well as shadow banks and electricity distributors, but they have largely been either credit guarantee schemes or new fund creations to be shouldered by banks and financial institutions.

On Saturday, the government announced a hike foreign investment limit in defence manufacturing and opened up the space sector while giving a new push to old reforms of commercial coal mining, mineral block auction and privatisation of power distribution as it sought new investments to help shore up the coronavirus-hit economy.

#PSUs

[brajeshupadhyay]

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package LIVE Updates: FM to announce details of Centre's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package shortly

15:56 (IST)

Sensex soars ahead of FM's address; Nifty jumps over 150 pts

Indices continued to stay in the green as Sensex was trading 637.49 points or 2.03 percent higher at 32,008.61 while the Nifty was up 187 points or 2.03 percent at 9,383.55 at around 3.30 pm.

15:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Updates

152 new confirmed cases, three deaths reported in Rajasthan

With 152 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Rajasthan as of 2 pm on Wednesday, the total confirmed cases in the state climbed to 4,278, said the health department. 

After three COVID-19 patients succumbed to the viral infection since yesterday, the toll in the state reached 120 so far 

15:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Form special teams to ensure transport arrangements for migrants: Bombay HC to dist collectors

The Bombay High Court has directed all district collectors, council authorities and police commissioners in Maharashtra to form special teams to monitor highways and arrange travel till the state border for migrant workers and others who are trying to walk back to their native places.

Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Nagpur bench of the high court was hearing a petition taken up by suo moto (on its own) on the plight of migrants, daily wage labourers and other stranded persons who are heading towards their home states on foot on highways and other roads.

The HC on Tuesday said the special teams to be formed by the authorities shall inform either the district collector or the concerned police commissioner or superintendent of police about the number of stranded persons.

15:18 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India  Latest Updates

S Jaishankar participates in virtual SCO Foreign Ministers meet on COVID-19

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar participated in the virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries on Wednesday to discuss cooperation to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The foreign ministers and diplomats attending the meeting from eight different countries are expected to discuss the global challenges, preparedness, and response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar takes part in the video conference meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries. pic.twitter.com/fW8n7M0ds7

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2020

15:00 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Twitter employees can work from home 'forever' even after COVID-19 pandemic ends

Twitter will allow its employees to work from home "forever", chief executive officer Jack Dorsey said in a company-wide email Tuesday. This means Twitter employees will be able to work from home even after the pandemic ends.

A Twitter spokesperson was quoted by the Guardian as saying, "We were uniquely positioned to respond quickly and allow folks to work from home given our emphasis on decentralization and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working from anywhere."

The spokesperson further said, "The past few months have proven we can make that work. So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen."

14:47 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Paramilitary canteens to sell only Made-in-India products from 1 June after PM's pitch for indigenous goods

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced that all canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF and the BSF will sell only indigenous products from 1 June to 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh personnel.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said the decision has been taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for opting for local products and being self-reliant.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens will now sell only indigenous products. This will be applicable to all CAPF canteens across the country from 1 June, 2020. With this, 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh CAPF personnel will use indigenous products," he said.

14:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

Mamata Banerjee calls for three-month short term plan to tackle pandemic

Asserting that it was unlikely to find a remedy to the COVID-19 crisis anytime soon, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called for a three-month plan to tackle the situation. 

"Don’t think we will get relief from the COVID-19 crisis anytime soon. We should have a three-month short term plan in place to tackle the situation," she said after a review meeting with state officials.

14:26 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in West Bengal Latest Updates

Red zones in Bengal to be divided in three parts, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the red zone areas in the state will be further divided into three categories. However, she said the red zones will see relaxations as they will be divided into three parts. 

"The red zones would be further divided into three categories. Steps would also be taken to restart the 100-day work scheme in the non-containment areas," said Mamata.

There are at least 566 containment zones in the state. Of them, Kolkata has 326 containment areas.

14:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Toll rises to 32 in Karnataka; 26 new cases emerge

With the death of a 60-year-old man in Kalaburagi, the COVID-19 toll in the Karnataka city climbed to 32 on Wednesday. The man passed away on 11 May. He later tested positive for the infection after being brought to a hospital in Kalaburagi.

The state witnessed an increase in the total number of positive cases by 26, thereby taking the overall count to 951, the health department said on Wednesday. 

14:05 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka to conduct CET 2020 on 30 and 31 July, says Deputy CM 

The Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) 2020 will now be held on 30 and 31 July. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief minister and Higher education minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday.

The exam was originally scheduled to held on  22, 23 and 24 April but, was postponed due to the nation-wide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) will be conducted on 30th and 31st July: State Higher Education Minister, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan (file pic) pic.twitter.com/NzKqo9OXOS

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2020

13:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Fresh support of only 60% in PM's economic stimulus package: Report

Of the Rs 20-lakh-crore package that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to defend the economy against coronavirus disruptions, fresh support may be only around 60 percent of the offer as it counts the first financial stimulus and liquidity support that Reserve Bank has given already, and will overburden bond market, says a report.

Modi outlined a Rs 20-lakh-crore which is 9.7 percent of GDP support package, of which new allocations could only be 50-60 percent of the offer. But until more details are known, financing burden will fall on the bond markets, Radhika Rao, the economist at Singaporean lender DBS Bank said in a note on Wednesday.

She further noted that "the new fiscal package is upsized and its scale lends a positive surprise, at a bigger-than-anticipated size with emphasis on making the economy more self-reliant via local manufacturing and improved supply chains.

In a big push to revive the COVID-hit economy, Modi on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore.

13:27 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates

Karnataka registers 951 COVID-19 cases

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka climbed to 951 after 26 more individuals tested positive between 5 pm on Tuesday till 12 pm on Wednesday, said the state health department. 

So far, the state has registered 32 fatalities while 442 COVID-19 patients have been discharged, taking the recovery rate to 46.5 percent. 

13:12 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Self-reliant India Mission just another version of Make in India: Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday took a jibe at the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package and "Self-reliant India Mission" announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as being nothing new but a repackaged version of "Make in India" initiative.

He tweeted a Hindi couplet to express his views on the subject.

The couplet roughly translates to: "He sold the old couplet/lion with a new name; He sold piles of dreams again."

नए नाम से वही पुराना शेर बेच गए सपनों के वो फिर से ढ़ेरों ढ़ेर बेच गए...#MakeInIndia is now आत्मनिर्भर भारत, कुछ और भी नया था क्या? pic.twitter.com/2yQhaaJyNF

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 13, 2020

12:50 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Chandigarh Latest Updates

Two more, including 7-yr-old, test positive for COVID-19 in Chandigarh

Two more, including a seven-year-old boy, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Chandigarh on Wednesday. With this, the total number of confirmed cases in the Union Territory is now at 189, said the health department.

As many as three COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the infectious disease so far in Chandigarh.

12:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Tamil Nadu Latest Update

One more tests positive for COVID-19 in Puducherry, taking total cases to four

One more person, hailing from neighbouring Arumbathpuram village tested positive for the COVID-19, taking the total cases of the infection to four in Puducherry, the health department said on Wednesday.

Secretary to Health Prashant Kumar Panda told reporters here that the 36-year-old patient has since been admitted to the Indira Gandhi government medical College hospital.

The person admitted for coronavirus treatment was a worker in private industry in Puducherry. Already the hospital was treating two active cases in addition to the one in Karaikal region.

12:39 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Update

Karnataka's road transport corporations donate one-day pay of staffers to CM relief fund

Officials and employees of all the four road transport corporations in Karnataka have contributed their one day salary amounting to Rs 9.85 crore to the Chief Minister's COVID-19 relief fund.

Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who also holds the transport portfolio, handed over the cheque to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday, an official statement said.

State's bus services are operated by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and North East Road Transport Corporation (NERTC).

12:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Smokers or people with COPD have higher death rate and risk of severe complications 

Being a current smoker or having a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an increased risk of severe complications and higher death risk from COVID-19 infection, according to a study. COPD is a common, persistent dysfunction of the lung associated with a limitation in airflow.

The researchers from the University College London in the UK noted that an estimated 251 million people worldwide are affected by COPD.

Given the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on respiratory function, they sought to understand the prevalence and the effects of COPD in COVID-19 patients.

Read full report

12:29 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Update

Indore reports 91 COVID-19 cases in part 24 hours, taking total to 2,107 in district

At least 91 more people tested positive for coronavirus in Indore in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases in the worst-hit district of Madhya Pradesh to 2,107, an official said on Wednesday.

Besides, three more persons died of COVID-19 in the district, raising the toll to 95, Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia told PTI.

12:22 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Nepal Latest Update

Nepal registers highest single-day spike in COVID-19 infections, cases rise to 217

Nepal registered its highest single-day increase in the coronavirus cases with 83 new infections, including 26 from the Indo-Nepal border area, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 217 in the country, health officials said.

Nepal, which is under nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of deadly coronavirus, is among the nations that have the least number of cases of the deadly COVID-19 with no deaths.

The total number of people infected by the novel coronavirus has climbed to 217 in Nepal with 83 new cases, the highest number of confirmation of virus transmission in a single-day, Joint Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Samir Kumar Adhikari said on Tuesday.

12:15 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Nagaland Latest Update

Nagaland offers Rs 10,000 to stranded residents who postpone return, says report

The Nagaland government has said that they will offer Rs 10,000 to those residents who opt not to return to the state right now. A press statement by Chief Secretary Temjen Toy on Tuesday said that many bodies (civil societies, tribal hohos and NGOs) in the state had appealed to stranded citizens not to come back unless it is ‘unavoidable', reports Indian Express.

12:09 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

18.5 lakh samples tested for COVID-19, says ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 18,54,250 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the country till 9.00 am on Wednesday.

12:03 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

BRICS' New Development Bank provides $1billion loan to India

The New Development Bank of the BRICS countries has fully disbursed USD one billion emergency assistance loan to India to help it contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) was established by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries in 2014 and is headed by veteran Indian banker K V Kamath.

Read full report here

11:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

India becomes 12th worst COVID-hit nation with 74,281 confirmed cases

India is now the 12th most affected country by the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of confirmed cases was inching closer to 75,000 on Wednesday. 

According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of positive cases stand at 74,281 in the country. The ministry also said that 2,415 people have died due to the disease as of Wednesday. 

With these figures, India has crossed Canada’s overall count of 69,156 COVID-19, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) list. India is just below China now where the disease originated in December, 2019. 

11:57 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Update

First repatriation flight from Dubai with 177 passengers lands in Mangaluru

The first repatriation flight to Mangaluru from Dubai with 177 passengers landed at the international airport. The total passengers, including 88 men, 84 women, five children, and two infants arrived by the Air India Express flight IX 384 late Tuesday night, airport sources said.

There were 12 medical emergency cases and 38 pregnant women among them, they said. The district administration had made arrangements for receiving the passengers, who were provided with sanitizers and masks.

They were advised to maintain social distancing as per the health protocol. All the foreign returnees were screened as per the standard operating procedure to ensure that they were asymptomatic.

The passengers were taken to their chosen place of accommodation in KSRTC buses.

11:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Update

Rupee rises 21 paise to 75.30 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee appreciated 21 paise to 75.30 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package enthused investors.

Forex traders said PM's economic booster aided sentiments. Besides, a positive opening in domestic equities also supported the local unit.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 75.31, then gained ground to touch 75.30, registering a rise of 21 paise over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee had settled at 75.51 against the US dollar.

11:45 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Update

Andhra reports 48 new cases in past 24 hours

Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday reported 48 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state is now 2137 including 948 active cases, 1142 cured/discharged and 47 deceased, said Andhra Pradesh Health Department.

48 new #COVID19 positive cases reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours; the total number of positive cases in the state is now 2137 including 948 active cases, 1142 cured/discharged and 47 deceased: Andhra Pradesh Health Department pic.twitter.com/WRLvCYpoje

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2020

11:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

Delhi's COVID-19 recovery rate at 36%

Since Tuesday, 346 COVID-19 patients have been discharged in Delhi, taking the total number of recovered cases to 2,858, said health minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday.

With this, the COVID-19 recovery rate in the Union Territory was at 36 percent. 

11:38 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

20 new COVID-19 deaths, 359 confirmed cases reported in Delhi in past 24 hrs

359 more individuals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases in the National Capital to 7,998 on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 toll stood at 106 after 20 patients succumbed to the viral infection. 

11:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

'Stimulus package to provide India with economic quantum jump': JP Nadda

BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday welcomed the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the COVID-19-hit economy. 

Nadda dubbed the financial package "historical" and said it would provide a "quantum jump" to the Indian economy. 

"Poor people, labourers, medium and small industries of the country have been given special consideration in this package. Middle class has also been given consideration, this package is historical and will become the basis to give India an economic quantum jump," said the BJP president. 

11:19 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Three COVID-19 deaths in Odisha so far; recovery rate at 22%

According to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Odisha government, of the total 538 confirmed cases, 419 were active cases. So far, 116 patients have been cured and discharged so far taking the recovery rate to 22 percent. 

Three deaths have been reported due to the infection so far from the state.

11:17 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Odisha Latest Updates

Odisha reports highest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases with 101 new patients

As many as 101 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from Odisha, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 538 on Wednesday. This is the highest number of cases confirmed in a single day in the state.

11:12 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Jammu and Kashmir Latest Updates

Air India flight to bring back 169 stranded Indians from Dhaka to Srinagar 

A batch of 169 Indian students, stranded in Bangladesh due to the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus, on Wednesday will board a special Air India flight under Vande Bharat Mission for home.

The evacuation flight carrying the students from Dhaka will land directly in Srinagar on Wednesday. This will be the fifth flight from Bangladesh, which will depart from Dhaka.

10:59 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Venkaiah Naidu welcomes stimulus package announced by PM 

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday welcomed the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the COVID-19-hit economy. He said it will be the way forward in overcoming challenges posed by the pandemic. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore.

10:49 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates

Crowd gather in MP district to welcome Jain monk; police probe on violation of social distancing norms

A huge crowd gathered in Banda, Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, to welcome a Jain monk on Tuesday. According to police, the incident was being investigated to see if social distancing norms were flouted. 

"Directions given to investigate and take action against organizers if social distancing norms and section - 144 were violated,"  Praveen Bhuria, ASP Sagar says, 

Madhya Pradesh: A crowd gathered to welcome Jain monk Pramansagar in Banda, Sagar district yesterday. Praveen Bhuria, ASP Sagar says, "Directions given to investigate & take action against organizers if social distancing norms & section-144 were violated". pic.twitter.com/eWNgk4qf4o

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2020

10:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

FM will expand on relief package at 4 pm press conference

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce details of an economic package worth Rs 20 lakh crore, aimed towards achieving the mission of a self-reliant Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at 4 pm on Wednesday at National Media Centre.

10:04 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 relief package to involve everyone, including 'honest' middle class tax payers: Sitharaman 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India will include everyone - a hawker/street vendor, a trader, a MSME, an honest tax paying middle class, a manufacturer etc., tweeted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

She further dubbed the COVID-19 economic package a "reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance."

@PMOIndia’s vision:#AatmanirbharBharat Abhiyan to include everyone-a hawker/street vendor, a trader, a MSME, an honest tax paying middle class,a manufacturer etc. This shall not be just a financial package, but a reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance.

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) May 12, 2020

09:58 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Delhi Latest Updates

In Images: Passenger train from Mumbai arrives at Delhi 

The first passenger train from Mumbai to Delhi since lockdown, arrived at New Delhi railway station today morning. A passenger says, "I was waiting since many days, I was very happy when I heard train services have resumed. I am happy to have reached home". pic.twitter.com/2gCZDaR0GV

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2020

09:53 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Rajasthan Latest Updates

87 new COVID-19 cases emerge in Rajasthan 

After 87 more individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 4,213 on Wednesday. 

With new COVID-19 deaths being reported in the state since Tuesday, the toll stood at 117, said Rajasthan Health Department. 

09:21 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Careful examination of recipients COVID-19 economic stimulus will be done: Chidambaram 

P Chidambaram on Wednesday said that a careful scrunitisation will be done of the COVID-19 economic package, announced by Narendra Modi, to examine the recipients of the massive stimulus. 

"The first thing we will look for is what the poor, hungry and devastated migrant workers can expect after they have walked hundreds of kilometres to their home states," said the former finance minister.

He further added that a thorough examination of what will be received by the bottom half of the Indian population or 13 crore families, in terms of real money, will be done. 

We will also carefully examine who gets what? And the first thing we will look for is what the poor, hungry and devastated migrant workers can expect after they have walked hundreds of kilometres to their home states.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 13, 2020

09:14 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

'PM gave us a headline and blank page': Chidambaram on Modi's COVID-19 financial package announcement 

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took a potshot at Narendra Modi after the prime minister on Tuesday announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crores to provide relief to the people and help the country fight the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Yesterday, the prime minister gave us a headline and a blank page. Naturally, my reaction was a blank!" said Chidambaram.

He further, "Today, we look forward to the FM filling the blank page. We will carefully count every additional rupee that the government will actually infuse into the economy."

Yesterday, PM gave us a headline and a blank page. Naturally, my reaction was a blank! Today, we look forward to the FM filling the blank page. We will carefully count every ADDITIONAL rupee that the government will actually infuse into the economy.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 13, 2020

08:51 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates

Gilead signs license pacts with drugmakers in India, Pakistan to make Remdesivir

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Tuesday it has signed non-exclusive licensing pacts with five generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to expand the supply of its experimental COVID-19 treatment Remdesivir.

The pacts allow the companies - Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, Cipla Ltd, Hetero Labs Ltd, Mylan NV and Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd - to make and sell the drug in 127 countries.

The countries consist of nearly all low-income and lower-middle income ones, as well as several that are upper-middle- and high-income, the drugmaker said. Afghanistan, India, North Korea, Pakistan and South Africa are among the countries.

08:46 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 economic package is reform stimulus: Nirmala Sitharaman 

The COVID-19 support measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday is not only a financial package, but a reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was quoted by All India Radio News. 

Finance Minister #NirmalaSitharaman says this shall not just be a financial package, but a reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance. #AatmanirbharBharat #IndiaFightsCorona #COVID19Pandemic File Photo pic.twitter.com/w2BxQMgUxv

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) May 13, 2020

08:40 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Sitharaman to provide fine-print of COVID-19 relief package today, says report

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a press briefing later on Wednesday to provide the fine-print of the economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, CNN-News18 reported. However, official statement on the time of the press conference yet to be announced. 

The focus of the package will be on labourers and small scale sectors, according to sources. The Centre wants to ensure employment, maintaining the demand and supply chain and ensure consumption of non-essential goods, added the sources.

Addressing the nation for the fifth time since the coronavirus outbreak in India, Modi Tuesday announced a massive Rs 20 lakh crore package.

08:10 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

COVID-19 doubling rate improves to 12.2 days from 10.9 in three days: Harsh Vardhan 

Even as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase across the nation, the doubling rate has improved to 12.2 days over the last three days from 10.9 days in the past two weeks, health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday.

He further highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance and contact tracing in view of migrants and expats returning home.

07:58 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Aarogya Setu has now 100 million users

India's COVID-19 tracking app Aarogya Setu has reached 100 million users in just 13 days of its launch on 2 April.

The app, available on Android  and iOS, allows people to self-assess their symptoms of the infectious disease by answering a set of questions. It then uses this information to alert users if they have come in contact with a COVID-19 infected person.

Breaking - 100 Million plus downloads for Aarogya Setu App making it one of the world's most widely used Apps for Contact Tracing in the fight against COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/1C7YHjBW1l

— Prasar Bharati News Services (@PBNS_India) May 13, 2020

07:44 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates

Recipients of COVID-19 economic package

Narendra Modi shed some light as to the intended recipients of the massive economic package announced on Tuesday evening.

"With the package, various sections of the society and economic links will get support," he said, adding, "land, labour, liquidity and laws are in focus in the package and it will support India's cottage industries, home industries, small and medium enterprises (SMEs)." 

This package is "for the country's labour, farmers who have worked in every condition and every weather and round the clock for the fellow countrymen, for India’s middle class who pays tax honestly and for industries," he added.

07:33 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates 

PM announces relief package of Rs 20 lakh cr to fight pandemic

A day after interacting with chief ministers over the way forward in the battle against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs.20 lakh crore economic package aimed at making the country self-reliant.

Calling the coronavirus outbreak "a crisis unimaginable for mankind", he said that the only way forward was turning the crisis into an opportunity and making India self-reliant.

Modi also observed that the crisis has taught everyone the importance of local manufacturing, local market and local supply chains. "All our demands during the crisis were met 'locally'. Now, it is time to be vocal about the local products and help these local products become global," he said.

07:24 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in India Latest Updates 

Modi announces lockdown 4 as confirmed cases rise to 70,756

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there will be a fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, but with new and different rules. His announcement came on a day when the number of confirmed cases in the country jumped to 70,756 and the toll reached 2,293.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Economic Package Latest Updates:  Twitter will allow its employees to work from home "forever", chief executive officer Jack Dorsey said in a company-wide email Tuesday.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced that all canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF and the BSF will sell only indigenous products from June 1 to 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh personnel.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said the decision has been taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for opting for local products and being self-reliant.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens will now sell only indigenous products. This will be applicable to all CAPF canteens across the country from 1 June, 2020. With this, 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh CAPF personnel will use indigenous products," he said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday took a jibe at the Rs 20 lakh crore economic package and "Self-reliant India Mission" announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as being nothing new but a repackaged version of "Make in India" initiative.

He tweeted a Hindi couplet to express his views on the subject.

The couplet roughly translates to: "He sold the old couplet/lion with a new name; He sold piles of dreams again."

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka climbed to 951 after 26 more individuals tested positive between 5 pm on Tuesday till 12 pm on Wednesday, said the state health department.

So far, the state has registered 32 fatalities while 442 COVID-19 patients have been discharged, taking the recovery rate to 46.5 percent.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 18,54,250 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the country till 9.00 am on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday reported 48 new COVID-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state is now 2,137.

The rupee appreciated 21 paise to 75.30 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package enthused investors. Forex traders said prime minister's economic booster aided sentiments. Besides, a positive opening in domestic equities also supported the local unit.

359 more individuals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases in the National Capital to 7,998 on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 toll stood at 106 after 20 patients succumbed to the viral infection

As many as 101 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from Odisha, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 538 on Wednesday. This is the highest number of cases confirmed in a single day in the state.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce details of an economic package worth Rs 20 lakh crore, aimed towards achieving the mission of a self-reliant Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at 4 pm on Wednesday at National Media Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a self-reliant India will include everyone - a hawker/street vendor, a trader, a MSME, an honest tax paying middle class, a manufacturer etc., tweeted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

She further dubbed the COVID-19 economic package a "reform stimulus, a mindset overhaul, and a thrust in governance."

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took a potshot at Narendra Modi after the prime minister on Tuesday announced an economic package of Rs 20 lakh crores to provide relief to the people and help the country fight the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday, the prime minister gave us a headline and a blank page. Naturally, my reaction was a blank!" said Chidambaram.

He further, "Today, we look forward to the FM filling the blank page. We will carefully count every additional rupee that the government will actually infuse into the economy."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a press briefing later on Wednesday to provide the fine-print of the economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, CNN-News18 reported. However, official statement on the time of the press conference yet to be announced.

The focus of the package will be on labourers and small scale sectors, according to sources. The Centre wants to ensure employment, maintaining the demand and supply chain and ensure consumption of non-essential goods, added the sources.

Addressing the nation for the fifth time since the coronavirus outbreak in India, Modi Tuesday announced a massive Rs 20 lakh crore package.

Even as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase across the nation, the doubling rate has improved to 12.2 days over the last three days from 10.9 days in the past two weeks, health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday.

He further highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance and contact tracing in view of migrants and expats returning home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there will be a fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown, but with new and different rules.

His announcement came on a day when the number of confirmed cases in the country jumped to 70,756 and the toll reached 2,293.

In his address to the nation, Modi also announced a relief package of Rs.20 lakh crores, amounting to almost 10 percent of the GDP which he said will address problems of a wide range of sectors. The details of the package will be announced by the finance minister, he said

India reports 3,604 cases, 87 deaths in 24 hours

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,293 and the number of cases climbed to 70,756 in the country on Tuesday, registering an increase of 87 fatalities and 3,604 cases in the last 24 hours since Monday 8 am, according to the Union health ministry. The total figure of 70,756 includes foreign nationals.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 46,008, while 22,454 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. 

"Thus, around 31.73 percent patients have recovered so far," PTI quoted a senior health ministry official as saying.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said the fatality rate is 3.2 percent while the doubling rate had now improved to  12.2 days.  He, however, highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance and contact-tracing in view of migrants and expats returning home.

Of 87 deaths were reported since Monday morning, 36 were in Maharashtra, 20 in Gujarat, six each in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, five in West Bengal and one each in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

Of the 2,293 deaths, Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of fatalities at 868, followed by Gujarat (513), Madhya Pradesh (221), West Bengal (190), Rajasthan (113), Uttar Pradesh (80), Delhi (73), Tamil Nadu (53) and Andhra Pradesh (45).

According to the health ministry's website, more than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities.

According to the health ministry data update in the morning, the highest number of 23,401 confirmed cases is from Maharashtra, followed by Gujarat (8,541), Tamil Nadu (8,002), Delhi (7,233), Rajasthan (3,988), Madhya Pradesh (3,785) and Uttar Pradesh (3,573).

However, according to a PTI tally at 9.05 pm, 12 hours after the health ministry's update, the countrywide case count had touched 74,029 while the toll had climbed to 2,338. According to the news agency, 23,938 persons had been cured and discharged.

According to data released by the state health department, Maharashtra reported 1,026 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 24,427  while the death toll rose to 921.

With 53 fresh deaths, 28 of them in Mumbai alone, the number of fatalities shot up to 921, a health official told PTI. Mumbai also reported 426 new cases, pushing the total number of infections in the country's financial capital to 14,781.

In neighbouring Gujarat, 261 more people contracted the viral infection in Ahmedabad district while 21 persons died due to the disease. So far, Ahmedabad has reported 6,353 cases and 421 fatalities.

Meanwhile, confirmed cases in the National Capital shot up to 7,639, with 406 new cases recorded till Tuesday morning, Delhi also reported its highest single-day spike in fatalities as 13 people died due to the viral infection, taking the toll to 86.

New cases were also reported in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, among others. The number of cases in Tami Nadu shot up by 716 to 8,718 and eight deaths were recorded.

Kerala, which had stopped seeing fresh cases till a few days back, saw five new cases as the flow of Keralites returning home from other countries and states continued.

PM announces economic package, says lockdown 4.0 will be different

A day after interacting with chief ministers over the way forward in the battle against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs.20 lakh crore economic package aimed at making the country self-reliant.

Calling the coronavirus outbreak "a crisis unimaginable for mankind", he said that the only way forward was turning the crisis into an opportunity and making India self-reliant.

Modi also observed that the crisis has taught everyone the importance of local manufacturing, local market and local supply chains. "All our demands during the crisis were met 'locally'. Now, it is time to be vocal about the local products and help these local products become global," he said.

"I announce a special economic package today. This will play an important role in the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan'. The announcements made by the government over COVID-19, decisions of the RBI and today's package totals to Rs 20 Lakh Crores. This is 10 percent of India's GDP." he said.

The prime minister said that the economic package will lay emphasis on land, labour, liquidity and laws. He further said, "This package is for our cottage industries, small and medium industries, which provide livelihoods to crores of people."

The prime minister also hinted at economic reforms and said that the details of the economic package will be announced by the finance minister in the next few days. These reforms include supply chain reforms for agriculture, rational tax system, simple and clear laws, capable human resource and a strong financial system. These reforms will promote business, attract investment, and further strengthen Make in India, he said.

The prime minister also said that there would be a fourth phase of the lockdown which would have new rules,  which would be announced after incorporating suggestions given by the states.

"Scientists say that corona will be a part of our lives for a very long time. But we can't let our lives remain confined around the virus. We will wear masks and maintain social distancing but we will not let it affect us. So lockdown 4 will be in a new form with new rules," he said, adding that the details of the same will be revealed before 18 May.

Railways restarts passenger trains

Meanwhile, the Railways cautiously resumed its passenger service after over 50 days, as three trains chugged out of New Delhi and five others left for the National Capital, each carrying around 1,100 passengers who first underwent screening and followed other norms necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, under the strict vigilance of authorities.

In an unprecedented measure, the railways, which is called the lifeline of the country, had suspended passenger service from March 22 midnight due to the pandemic, leaving lakhs of people stranded as road and air services were also stopped during the the coronavirus lockdown.

Passengers at the boarding stations expressed mixed feelings of relief and apprehension, with many arriving hours before the scheduled train departures.

The Railways has issued new guidelines for travel on these special trains , asking passengers to carry their own food and linen and arrive at stations at least 90 minutes before departure for health screening in the wake of the pandemic. The railways also made it mandatory for passengers to download the Aarogya Setu App.

Shramik special trains for migrants also continued to operate, with the first Shramik special train from Mysuru division of South Western Railway with leaving for Bihar on Tuesday with 1,428 migrant workers on board. Around 2,400 migrants from Surat and Pune have been brought in two special trains to Uttarakhand, officials told PTI.

Centre to repatriate Indians under second phase of Vande Bharat Mission

Under the Union governemnt's Vande Bharat Mission, total of 6,527 Indians from the Gulf region as well as countries like the US, the UK, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives, PTI quoted sources as saying.

The sources also said that the Centre plans to repatriate Indians  from 31 countries in 149 flights in the second phase of the mission, between 16 and 22 May. The government will bring back people from Canada, Oman, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, France, Tajikistan, Singapore, the US, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Kuwait and Italy, the said.

With inputs from agencies

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Relief package has overlooked entertainment industry: Film bodies write to FM

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/relief-package-has-overlooked-entertainment-industry-film-bodies-write-to-fm/

Relief package has overlooked entertainment industry: Film bodies write to FM

NEW DELHI: With COVID-19 cases spiking everyday in Mumbai and film shooting unlikely to resume soon, film bodies have written to the centre, asking for its intervention in helping the industry tide through the crisis. The federation of Western India Cine Employees that represents associations covering 32 different crafts of the workers and technicians of the media and entertainment industry, wrote to Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, “The media and entertainment industry is among the highest revenue generating industries and plays an important role in the Indian economy. It is very sad that the industry has been overlooked by the government. We have sent numerous correspondences to the PM and I&B ministry for providing aid to hundreds of workers and technicians associated with the industry who are categorised as daily wage earners, but have not received any help from the government.”

BN Tiwari, President of Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees told ET that as film, TV and web show shoots are not likely start till the end of June or first week of July, and daily wage earners – spot boys, stuntmen, makeup artists, light men and more who have been out of work since lockdown are the worst hit.

Producer bodies such as Producers’ Guild of India, actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, and production houses such as Yashraj Films have donated towards COVID Relief fund to provide monetary aid to 35,000 film crew members members and a month’s ration essentials. “However, the industry is vast and the daily wage workers count is huge. Many are yet to get any relief,” the letter pointed out.

Tiwari added that while discussions to resume work has been going on with government officials, it is not likely that shooting will begin soon.

“The idea that shooting can be done in green zones will never work, as people in those areas will never allow that. More than 150 serials and 100 web series are being made. Taking everyone to green zones is not feasible…The condition in Mumbai is getting worse. We have a huge section that depends on daily wages, and many of them have physical disability,” Tiwari said.

“If permissions are given to carry out such post-production activities of these projects, which can be done in closed studios with minimum workforce, it would be a great relief to the producers who have invested a lot. Post-production work includes activities such as editing, dubbing, sound recording, music recording, special/visual effects, can begin,” he added.

I&B ministry started talks with film bodies recently, and is exploring options of having a common SOP for shooting across States.

A delegation of film makers had also met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray recently over the concerns.

Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka have started “limited shooting activities” since last week, under strict guidelines, which include “no shooting of wedding scenes, designated seating areas with 6-ft distance between them, compulsory use of three-layered medical masks by all professionals.”

Contactless temperature checks of the unit every morning, presence of doctor and nurse on set for three months since resumption of shoots are among the other guidelines being followed.

Experts have estimated Indian film industry will lose an estimated Rs 2,500 crore, with theatres expected to reopen only by August.

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Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: India tally climbs to 85,940, toll reaches 2,752 as city, foreign-returnees push numbers

07:48 (IST)

Coronavirus in Jharkhand Latest Update

Stone-pelting in Hindpiri as locals accuse CRPF jawan of attacking local leader

Police was roped into action in Jharkhand's Hindpiri area, current a COVID-19 red zone, after disturbance erupted as locals accused a CRPf jawan of beating a local leader. A crowd gathered and stone-pelting was reported, according to ANI.

Adequate force was deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control.

07:42 (IST)

Coronavirus in Maharashtra Latest Update

Train carries 1,222 passengers from Panvel to Jaipur

A train departed on Saturday evening from Panvel for Jaipur, carrying 1,222 passengers. Passengers from Raigad, Navi Mumbai and Kurla were brought to the Panvel railwaysstation from local police stations by concerned authorities.

07:40 (IST)

Coronavirus in Assam Latest Updates

Two tested positive in Guwahati, total cases at 94

Two persons were tested positive in Guwahati and one in Sonitpur, taking the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Assam to 94. 41 persons in the state have recovered, where two deaths have been reported so far.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am.

The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said.

With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed.

However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500.

Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

COVID-19 cases from states

In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135.

Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585.

The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days.

Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus

Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses.

In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states.

Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states.

In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road.

In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday.

Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport.

According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases

The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far.

On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129.

Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493.

Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths.

Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases.

35 migrants killed in road accidents

At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places.

Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers.

Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March.

While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads.

FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it

The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs.

Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore.

Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation.

Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors.

Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown.

The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions.

Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19.

His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital.

With inputs from PTI

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