Times Of India Indian Express Mid-Day Rediff IBNLive DNA ZeeNews The Hindu Career India NDTV FilmiBeat Business Standard

Coronavirus: SC seeks status report from Centre on steps taken to prevent migration of workers

43 minutes ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from the Centre by Tuesday on the measures taken in view of the large-scale migration of labourers from cities to their native villages amid the coronavirus outbreak and the consequent lockdown across the country. The top court observed that the migration of labourers out of panic and fear is becoming a bigger problem than the coronavirus. It said the court would not create more confusion by issuing directions on measures that the government is already taking to deal with the issue. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao, which took up two separate PILs filed by advocates Alakh Alok Srivastava and Rashmi Bansal on the issue of migration of labourers through video-conferencing, said before passing any direction, it would like to wait for the status report from the Centre. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the migration of labourers needs to be stopped to prevent the spread of the .....
                 

Amid lockdown, cop travels 20 hours on foot to join duty in MP

43 minutes ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Unfazed by the nationwide lockdown, a 22-year-police constable walked for nearly 20 hours during the 450-km journey from his hometown in Uttar Pradesh to Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh to join duty. The Rajgarh police lauded constable Digvijay Sharma's commitment towards work and advised him rest for a few days as his legs got sore muscles after travelling long hours on foot. Talking to PTI on Monday, Sharma said he was on leave from March 16 to 23 to appear for his BA (Bachelor of Arts) exams at Etawah in Uttar Pradesh. But, the exams got postponed due to the shut down. "I contacted my boss - Pachor police station inspector - and told him that I want to join duty during these testing times. He advised me against it as there was no transport facility available," he said. Sharma's family also advised him to stay at home, but he could not hold himself back. "I started my journey on foot from Etawah on March 25 morning. I walked for nearly 20 hours during my journey in which I .....
                 

Strides announces successful completion of US FDA inspection

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Strides Pharma Science Limited on Monday announced it has received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) for the inspection conducted by the USFDA in January 2020 at the company's flagship facility KRS Gardens, Bengaluru. The inspection was related to specific Extended Release applications made from the site, and receipt of EIR confirms the successful closure of the inspections, the Bengaluru-headquartered pharmaceutical company said in a statement. The flagship facility here is the company's largest manufacturing unit with capabilities to produce finished dosage formulation products across multiple dosage formats including tablet, capsules, ointments, creams and liquids, it said. The facility is also capable of manufacturing complex formulations of extended release tablets which is one of the focus areas for the company. Strides has a large extended release portfolio for the US and other regulated markets with a capability to manufacture these products at multiple..
                 

Edible oil demand likely to decline during March-April amid COVID-19 lockdown

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Edible oil demand is set to decline at least during March-April as hotels and restaurants have closed down amid nationwide lockdown to fight against coronavirus disease, according to an industry body. Hotel, Restaurants and Cafeterias (HoReCa) segment accounts for 40 per cent of the country's total edible oil demand at 230 lakh tonnes annually. Edible oil imports and processing activities have also slowed down, but there is sufficient stock in the country to meet domestic demand, Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) Executive Director B V Mehta told PTI. "Our monthly consumption of edible oil is 18-19 lakh tonnes per month. The demand will certainly fall as hotels, restaurants and cafeterias have closed down," Mehta said. He, however, said it would be difficult to estimate the extent of fall as household consumption might increase slightly during lockdown period. Mehta said imports of vegetable oils (comprising edible and non edible oil) too have slowed down, but there is no..
                 

Coronavirus: SC staff to donate up to three days' salary to PM CARES fund

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The officials and staff of the Supreme Court registry have decided to donate up to three days' salary to the PM CARES fund in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. According to a circular issued by Registrar (cash and accounts) Rajesh Kumar Goel, all gazetted officers will donate three days' salary, non-gazetted employees will donate two days' salary and group "C" employees will donate one day's salary to the Prime Minister Citizens' Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation (PM CARES) fund. The contribution of the employees will be deducted from the salary of March. "We are all in the know of the pandemic (COVID-19), which has engulfed the entire world, posing serious challenges for millions of people worldwide and India is no exception. At a time when the coronavirus is posing severe health and economic problems for our country, it is imperative to contribute by donating generously for the cause of humanity," the circular said. It added that most of the officers and officials .....
                 

TVS Motor, Group companies pledge Rs 25 crore to PM's Relief

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
TVS Motor Company and its Group Companies TVS Credit Services Ltd., Sundaram-Clayton Ltd., and others on Monday announced their commitment to donate Rs 25 crore to the PM's Relief Fund (PM-CARES) to aid the battle against COVID-19. "This is in line with the company's continuous endeavour to ensure prosperous and sustainable communities. It is in addition to the ongoing activities being already undertaken through Srinivasan Services Trust, the CSR arm of the group," it said in a statement. "The COVID-19 pandemic marks an unprecedented time in modern history and it will require the best of humanity to overcome the battle. We applaud the Government's strong resolve and numerous actions to fight this. Now, more than ever, it requires all of us to cooperate and support each other as a nation," said Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company. Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of the group, is implementing various measures ranging from manufacturing and .....
                 

Chandigarh University Distributes Food to Neighbouring Villages During the Nationwide Lockdown to Fight the Global Pandemic

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
/ -- Amid 21 days lockdown announced in India, the daily wagers working in factories and construction labour are facing heat as they are facing challenges to earn and find food for themselves and their families. Rising up to the situation and with the spirit of gesture in times of crisis, Chandigarh University Gharuan is distributing cooked meals two times a day to poor & needy in the 6 neighbourhood villages Gharuan, Batta, Mankheri, Mamupur, Roorkee Pukta and Madauli. The distribution drive started from the first day of the lockdown and will be continued throughout the 21 days period. The meals are cooked in University Mess and then transported to the different locations using the institution's transportation. Participating in the drive, Jai Vardhan one of the volunteers said, "We are currently catering to feed about 500 persons daily but we can increase our capacity if the more demand arises in the coming days." "Although the Government of Punjab is ensuring the distribution of..
                 

COVID-19: CII Karnataka creates taskforce to work with

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A high-level delegation of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Karnataka, led by the Chairman Sandeep Singh and Vice Chairman Ramesh Ramadurai, met the Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar and assured the support of the industry to the government in its fight to contain the spread of COVID 19 in the state. CII has created a taskforce to work closely with the government on the reduction in spread of Covid 19 and assured its support on the ground, in the form of donations of medicines, personal protective gear, diagnostic test kits, and financial support, it said in a statement. The government along with the industry has been proactively making the efforts to understand the requirements and the support needed, the CII said. A report on industry recommendations which outlines the impact on each sector and possible steps to address the challenges has been shared with Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Karnataka. A meeting for E-commerce companies was .....
                 

Combating COVID-19: Coordinating with state govt's for supplying medical equipment's, essentials, says Civil Aviation Ministry

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday said that it is coordinating with the state governments for the supply of medical equipment and essential items needed for the protection against the coronavirus and for the testing of COVID-19."Based on requirements received from various states on urgent basis, the senior officials of the Ministry coordinate with supply agencies for providing required material which can be further transported to the desired destinations. Air India and Alliance Air flights are being operated to carry out the necessary supply operations across the country," said Ministry of Civil Aviation in a release.The agencies authorised by the Ministry to carry shipment on these flights contact the concerned officials of their region and coordinate for timely delivery/ receipt of shipments."In order to cater to eastern and north eastern parts of the country, an Alliance Air flight from Delhi to Kolkata carried shipments for Kolkata, Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Agartala on .....
                 

Coronavirus: Man tests positive, total number of cases rises to 60 in Rajasthan

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A 41-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus in Rajasthan on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 60, an official said. The man is a resident of Ladakh and had been evacuated from Iran. He had landed at the Jodhpur airport on March 25. The man was in a quarantine facility and developed symptoms. He tested positive (for coronavirus) on Monday, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said. He added that the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the state has risen to 60. Rajasthan is under lockdown since March 22 and massive survey and screening is underway, officials said. A batch of 277 people, evacuated from Iran, had landed at the Jodhpur airport in Rajasthan last Wednesday. Upon preliminary screening of the evacuees, mostly pilgrims, conducted at the airport, they were taken to the Army Wellness Facility set up at the Jodhpur Military Station...
                 

93 migrant workers held for defying lockdown, attacking cops

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
At least 93 migrant labourers have been arrested in Gujarat's Surat city for allegedly defying the nationwide lockdown and attacking police, an official said on Monday. Situation became tense in Ganesh Nagar and Tirupati Nagar localities late Sunday night after nearly 500 migrant workers residing there came on roads, demanding transportation facility to reach their native places, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vidhi Chaudhari said. A number of people hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar live in Surat's Pandesara area, where both the localities are situated, and work in powerlooms and textile processing units here, another police official said. "When the police were trying to convince them to remain indoors, they started pelting stones at the security personnel. Several police vehicles were damaged in the stone pelting," Chaudhari said. The police fired 30 teargas shells to disperse the crowd, said Chaudhari, whose official car was also damaged in the incident. While some ...
                 

Lupin gets EIR from USFDA for Florida-based inhalation research centre

an hour ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Drug maker Lupin on Monday said it has received an establishment inspection report (EIR) from the US health regulator for its inhalation research centre in Florida. The facility was inspected by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), between February 19, 2020, and February 26, 2020, on behalf of the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (UKMHRA) for company's application for generic Fostair. "The receipt of the EIR with satisfactory voluntary action indicated' status validates our commitment towards ensuring the highest levels of quality and current good manufacturing practice compliance at all our sites," Lupin Ltd CEO Vinita Gupta said in a statement. The Inhalation Research Center at Coral Springs, Florida, inaugurated in August 2015, focuses on research and development of respiratory products for the treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and other respiratory ailments. "We are grateful for the USFDA's confidence in our team during this ...
                 

IOA promises support, contribution to fight COVID-19 pandemic

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday promised "support and contribution" towards the country's battle to contain the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, saying its member national federations and state affiliates will also step in to aid the cause. In a statement posted on the body's Twitter handle, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said "we are deeply grateful to all the front-line workers who are risking their lives to fight this pandemic." In another tweet, the IOA said the cycling federation and the Indian Golf Union have already promised monetary contributions to fight the outbreak, which has led to a nationwide lockdown till April 14. "The #Cycling fraternity is committed to the need of the nation in fighting the severity of COVID-19 crisis. @OfficialCFI Chairman Mr Onkar Singh pledged a support of 1 Lac Rupees on behalf of Cycling Federation of India for this noble cause," the IOA tweeted. "In the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, IGU President Lt.Gen D Anbu (Retd), has pledged..
                 

PM Modi appreciates Omar Abdullah's call for social distancing following his uncle's death

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the death of Omar Abdullah's uncle and appreciated the National Conference leader'scall to supporters to a avoid large gathering and pray from home for the departed soul. "Condolences to you and the entire family, @OmarAbdullah. May his soul rest in peace," Modi tweeted. He said in this hour of grief, Omar's call to avoid any large gathering "is appreciable and will strengthen India's fight against COVID-19". On Sunday night, the NC leader had tweeted that his uncle Mohd Ali Mattoo passed away after a brief illness. "At this difficult time the family appeals to everyone to respect the guidelines to not gather either at his residence or the graveyard. Your prayers from your homes will give peace to his soul," Abdullah had said. Social distancing is the only way to curb the spread of coronavirus, the government has said. A 21-day nationwide lockdown is in place since March 24 as part of efforts to check the spread of the deadly virus...
                 

Premier educational institutes of Bengal to contribute for

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Many premier educational institutions on Monday pledged to contribute to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund and help in the governments fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on March 27 had appealed to different organisations and individuals, here and abroad, for making contributions to the fund, the Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, and St Xavier's University expressed their desire to donate to the fund. The St. Xaviers College (Autonomous) Kolkata, a separate educational institution run by the same Jesuit organization, also joined the initiative. Calcutta University vice-chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee told PTI, she was in talks with the Pro-VC and registrar to facilitate contribution of a "fairly substantial amount" to the relief fund soon. Chakraborty, who did not specify any amount, said while this contribution was entirely on behalf of the varsity authorities, there is a second fund raising .....
                 

RBI MONEY MARKET OPERATION

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Money Market Operations as on March 27, 2020 (Amount in ? crore, Rate in Per cent) MONEY MARKETS@ Volume (One Leg) Weighted Average Rate Range A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 2,86,245.07 1.09 0.01-5.50 I. Call Money 13,751.18 4.68 2.40-5.50 II. Triparty Repo 2,10,651.70 0.85 0.02-4.00 III. Market Repo 61,842.19 1.11 0.01-3.00 IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 - B. Term Segment I. Notice Money** 1,287.80 5.37 3.10-5.50 II. Term Money@@ 1,270.00 4.95-7.50 III. Triparty Repo 758.00 4.29 4.00-5.24 IV. Market Repo 0.00 - - V. Repo in Corporate Bond 3,670.00 8.50 8.50-8.50 RBI OPERATIONS@ Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate / Cut off Rate C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) & Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) I. Today's Operations 1. Fixed Rate (i) Reverse Repo Fri, 27/03/2020 3 Mon, 30/03/2020 4,43,973.00 4.00 2. Variable Rate& (I) Main Operation (a) Reverse Repo Fri, 27/03/2020 13 Thu, 09/04/2020 1,18,029.00 4.39 (II) Fine Tuning Operations (a) .....
                 

AIIMS Delhi trauma centre converted into COVID-19 dedicated hospital

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Dr DK Sharma, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS told ANI: "Apex Trauma Centre was designed mostly victims of road traffic accidents. However, these days, trauma cases have also come down. We are converting the entire trauma centre into a dedicated hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The capacity of beds can be enhanced by at least 200. The trauma centre's physical infrastructure is ready,"Dr Sharma added that this update can further be strengthened as per requirement."We are continuously working to strengthen the ICU facility. We have created a 20-bed-ICU facility at the trauma centre; a 30-bed-ICU has been designed at the burns and plastics ward. As of now, we have kept about 50 beds of isolation and 25 ICU beds. We have also placed 150 additional beds in the ward," Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director, said.In the meantime, trauma centre emergency (casualty) is being shifted to the main AIIMS emergency unit. Most of the admitted patients from the trauma centre have already been..
                 

ADB to invest USD 100 million in Indian infrastructure sector via NIIF

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Multilateral institution Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday announced a USD 100 million funding for the Indian infrastructure sector through the government-promoted NIIF. The Manila-based body will be investing in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund's (NIIF) fund of funds which will ensure that the actual money invested will be a few times more than the USD 100 million. The investment announcement comes at a critical time for India, as the already sagging economic growth is feared to be taking a heavy hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. ADB's commitment to NIIF fund of funds during these extraordinary and challenging times is highly meaningful, NIIF's managing director and chief executive Sujoy Bose said. He added that the commitment should be seen as reflective of ADB's confidence in the continued growth and potential of the Indian economy, its skilled private equity fund managers and the large pool of determined entrepreneurs who seek capital to grow and strengthen ...
                 

Manu Bhaker donates Rs 1 lakh for fight against COVID-19

2 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Teen shooting sensation Manu Bhaker on Monday donated Rs 1 lakh to the Haryana goverment to help the state combat the rapidly-spreading COVID-19 pandemic. The 18-year-old, who is a Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympics champion, belongs to Jhajjar district in the state. "This is the time when only lives of people matter to the country and to save them we need to do whatever we can. I am donating Rs 1 lakh to the Haryana Corona Cases fund from my savings," Bhaker tweeted in Hindi. The Youth olympics gold-medallist also urged everyone to contribute to fight the health crisis. "I hope all of you will also donate and help the country during this time," she said. The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 700,000 people worldwide while causing close to 34,000 deaths. In India, the number of cases has surpassed the 1,000-mark with 27 people succumbing to the disease. Bhaker is the latest entrant in the growing list of sports personalities making contributions. Last week, batting legend .....
                 

Maha: US returnee booked for violating home quarantine order

3 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A 35-year-old man who arrived in Maharashtra's Palghar district from the US last week has been booked for violating the home quarantine order issued to check the spread of coronavirus, police said on Monday. The man arrived in Vasai area here from USA on March 23 and after his medical examination, he was asked to remain in home quarantine. However, on March 28, he was found roaming in the locality, police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said. A case was registered against him on Sunday under IPC Sections 269 (whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life) and 188 (act of disobedience committed against orders passed by public servant), and the Epidemic Diseases Act. No arrest has been made so far, the official said. Prohibitory orders are in force in the district in view of the coronavirus outbreak, he added...
                 

Strides Pharma Science receives EIR for Bengaluru facility from USFDA

3 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Strides Pharma Science Ltd on Monday said it has received Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) for the inspection conducted by the USFDA in January 2020 at company's flagship facility KRS Gardens, Bengaluru. The inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) was related to specific extended release applications made from the site. Receipt of EIR confirms the successful closure of the inspections, Strides Pharma Science said in a regulatory filing. USFDA gives EIR on closure of inspection of an establishment that is the subject of an FDA or FDA-contracted inspection. "The flagship facility in Bengaluru is the largest manufacturing facility for the company with capabilities to produce finished dosage formulation products across multiple dosage formats including tablet, capsules, ointments, creams and liquids," it added. The facility is also capable of manufacturing complex formulations of extended release tablets which is one of the focus areas for the company. Strides has a..
                 

District administration in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar fixes maximum price of food items to stop black marketing

3 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

8 new COVID-19 cases in MP; total reaches 47

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Cycling, meditation keep Athawale busy during lockdown

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Amid the coronavirus gloom and the nationwide 21-day lockdown, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, who raised the chant of "Go Corona Go", is using the time to improve his fitness by cycling and meditating. The 60-year-old Republican Party of India (A) leader, who lives in the 'Samvidhan' bungalow in suburban Bandra, is also devoting his time to reading and playing with his teenaged son. "My daily routine includes walking, cycling, meditation for half-an-hour and reading. I also don't miss the daily news briefings," Athawale said. "I am also playing games regularly with my son Jeet during the lockdown. After a long time, I could find time for him," he said. The Minister of State for Social Justice earlier this month invoked the chant of "Go Corona Go" in a bid to lift the spirits of people. He also announced to donate Rs 1 crore from his Local Area Development fund to the PM Care Fund, created as a part of Centres crowdfunding plans. The minister has also decided to donate ....
                 

COVID-19 : SKV in Delhi's Ghazipur converted to temporary shelter home for migrant workers

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

COVID-19: NF Railway starts converting train coaches into isolation wards in Guwahati

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Indian Railways is converting train coaches into isolation wards to prepare for a fight against coronavirus to meet the increasing demand for beds.As part of this initiative, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has started converting coaches into isolation wards at the Coach Maintenance Depot in Kamakhya and Guwahati after consulting medical professionals at its N. F. Railway Central Hospital, Maligaon. Non-AC sleeper coaches are being converted into isolation wards for patients."Each cabin of the coach has been converted into an independent isolation ward which shall accommodate one patient. There are nine such cabins in one coach. Following modifications have been done in each coach. Middle berths have been removed from these cabins for keeping two feet bed space on the berths," an official release said."Extra bottle holders and electric points are provided for medicines, IV Fluids and medical equipment like oscilloscope monitor, suction apparatus, etc. A foldable stool is .....
                 

Social distancing, hygiene at supermarkets must to contain spread of COVID-19

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Dr Praveen Kumar Kulkarni, KIMS Hospital on Sunday said that it is necessary to maintain proper sanitisation and social distancing when people go out to buy something to contain the spread of COVID-19."The government locked down the entire state but gave permission to go out for daily utilities. It is necessary to maintain proper sanitisation when you go out to buy something. If this virus spreads in areas where there is no proper precautionary measures then the number of positive cases might increase," Kulkarni told ANI."You have to maintain social distancing even at shops. Wearing basic gloves is one of the solutions to stop the spreading of this virus through local vegetable vendors," he said.According to the Telangana Health Department, a total coronavirus positive cases in the state stand at 70 including one discharged and one death...
                 

Noida admin orders 28-day paid leave for those quarantined, pay for daily wagers during lockdown

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Any worker or employee infected with coronavirus and quarantined either at hospital or at home will be given a 28-day paid leave by their employer across Noida and Greater Noida, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration has ordered. In the order passed late on Saturday night, the administration also said that shops, industries and factories closed because of the lockdown will have to give daily wage along with leave to their workers and labourers during the closure period. The order came amid an exodus of thousands of daily wage earners to their far-flung homes, towns and villages as they have been rendered jobless due to the 21-day countrywide lockdown ordered by the Centre to fight coronavirus. Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh said the Uttar Pradesh government has already declared the pandemic as a "disaster" and the lockdown has been ordered with an objective to contain the virus from spreading. "Workers and employees who are infected with COVID-19 and those ....
                 

Lack of money, food drove migrants back to home

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Labourers reaching Lucknow from Delhi and other states had a similar tale to narrate that they had no money and food, forcing them to return to their homes. The state government has decided not to charge any ticket amount to any labourers, workers and families who are travelling in state-run buses, said Raj Shekhar, the managing director of the Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation. He added that the conductor need to maintain the way bill details for further necessary action, and the expenditure will be reimbursed by the government. "This will be implemented with immediate effect," he said. After covering several kilometres on foot along with their families, the labourers, who reached Charbagh bus station in Lucknow on Saturday and Sunday, said there was no point staying in Delhi as they have exhausted their funds and it would be better for them to return to their homes. Pankaj Chauhan, who returned to Lucknow from Hazrat Nizamuddin, had his face covered with a .....
                 

4.5M quake jolts Chamba, sixth in three days

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

DR Congo security forces kill 31 attackers in Lubumbashi: NGO

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
DR Congo security forces have killed 31 armed assailants in clashes around Lubumbashi, the country's second-largest city, a human rights group said Sunday, denouncing the action as human butchery". The NGO, Justicia, said that seven attackers and one police officer were killed in Lubumbashi on Saturday, 13 militia men were killed in Likasi, nine in Kasumbalesa on the border with Zambia and two in Bunkeya, another town in region which is rich in cobalt. While denouncing what it described as an "destabilisation attempt" by the attackers, Justicia also hit out at the army for "opening fire without warning" on the militia men who were more lightly armed, some just carrying knives. This, the group said, amounted to "human butchery". Congolese police had said on Saturday that the militia men, loyal to former warlord Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga, were "forced back by police and the armed forces". Mutanga had left his home in Lubumbashi during the fighting, police said, without specifying whether ....
                 

Fit, healthy 33-year-old recounts falling ill to coronavirus

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Andrea Napoli didn't fit the usual profile of a coronavirus patient. At 33, he was in perfect health, with no history of respiratory disease. And he was in top physical shape, thanks to regular workouts, including water polo training. Still, Napoli, a lawyer in Rome, developed a cough and fever less than a week after Italy's premier locked down the entire nation, including the capital which had continued life as usual while the virus raged in the north. Until that day, Napoli was following his routine of work, jogging and swimming. He received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 three days later. Initially, Napoli was told to quarantine at home with the warning that his condition could deteriorate suddenly, and it did. By the next day, he was hospitalized in intensive care, with X-rays confirming he had developed pneumonia. ''Unfortunately, you have to live these things to really understand them totally,'' Napoli said in a Skype interview. ''I am 33 years old, in great health, and I .....
                 

Maryland nursing home hit by virus outbreak

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
One resident of a Maryland nursing home died after contracting COVID-19 in an outbreak that has sickened dozens of the facility's residents and strained its staff, health officials said. A man in his 90s who was a resident at the Peasant View Nursing Home died Saturday night after testing positive for COVID-19, Carroll County Health Health Officer Ed Singer said at a news conference. Singer said 66 residents have tested positive and 11 were hospitalized, the same numbers that were reported the previous night. Outside the nursing home on Sunday, a sheriff's deputy and state trooper parked their patrol vehicles and checked all incoming vehicles to make sure people were authorized to enter the premises. The nursing home with 104 beds is also facing a staffing shortage as staff members say they can't come to work. They're struggling to be able to do their administration and to be able to staff and take care of their patients, Singer said. Singer said that to his knowledge, no staff .....
                 

Moscow mayor orders all residents to stay at home

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Moscow's mayor announced strict isolation rules for the city from Monday, as coronavirus cases climbed in the Russian capital. The new restrictions would apply to all the city's residents, regardless of age, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement Sunday. Residents of the capital will only be allowed to leave their homes in the case of a medical emergency, to travel to jobs judged essential by the authorities, and shop for food or medicines, the statement read. Previously, only Muscovites over the age of 65 were under orders to remain in their homes under rules that came into force last Monday. Residents in the capital will be allowed to take out trash and walk their dogs within a 100-metre radius of their homes, Sunday's order said. Muscovites exempt from the rules would be issued with a special pass by city authorities in the coming days, Sobyanin added. The new isolation rules would be policed by a "smart system of monitoring compliance," in what appeared to be a reference to a ....
                 

WB govt asks districts to set up temporary shelters for poor,

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
In a fresh order, West Bengal government on Sunday asked authorities of every district to make adequate arrangements of temporary shelters for the poor people and migrant workers. The order was issued by state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, citing a directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs for effective implementation of the lockdown measures. "Adequate arrangements of temporary shelters and provision of food etc shall be made by the district administration for the poor and needy people, including migrant workers stranded due to lockdown measures in their respective areas," the order said. "District administrations should explore the option of involving NGOs/civil society/other voluntary organisations to support and augment the services," it said. The order further stated the migrant people and those having come from abroad, "and already under home/institutional lockdown", should be put under strict surveillance and in case of violation of home quarantine, they should be..
                 

UP CM exhorts party workers to take up anti-corona fight

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held video-conferencing with 1.63 lakh BJP booth heads and asked them to apprise people of the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan package, a statement issued by the UP government said. The chief minister also asked party workers to apprise people of various announcements made by the state government related to precautions and preventive measures against the coronavirus spread. Adityanath also asked party workers keep a tab on people returning from other states to their native places and make available their details to local district administration so that they can be properly monitored. The chief minister also asked the party's booth presidents to provide food to 10 poor people everyday. "One food packet should be prepared from each household, and food be given to 10 needy and poor people," he said. Ending his conversation with party workers, Adityanath also asked them to work on the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'Corona .....
                 

Centre suspends 2 Delhi officers, issues notices to 2 others for 'serious lapses' during lockdown

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Centre on Sunday suspended two senior Delhi government officers and served show-cause notices on two others for "serious lapses" in duty during the ongoing lockdown. A Home Ministry spokesperson said the two officers who have been suspended with immediate effect are: Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Renu Sharma and Principal Secretary (Finance) Rajeev Verma, who also holds the post of divisional commissioner. The two officers who have been served with show-cause notices are Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Land Buildings) Satya Gopal and SDM (Seelampur) Ajay Arora. While Sharma, Verma and Gopal are senior IAS officers, Arora is reportedly an officer belonging to Delhi Andaman Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS). The Central government has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the four officers for dereliction of duty regarding containment of the spread of COVID-19, the spokesperson said. It has been brought to the notice of the competent authority that the .....
                 

Five Khurja natives tested corona-positive in Meerut: CMO

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A couple belonging to Khurja and their three relatives were tested positive for coronavirus infection in Meerut near here on Sunday, said officials. The man had been staying at Shastri Nagar of Meerut where he had approached for treatment after developing symptoms of coronavirus infection, said Chief Medical Officer, Dr Raj Kumar, of Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College and Hospital. The man, dealing in pottery business at Amravati in Maharashtra, had come to his in-laws residing in Shastri Nagar of Meerut with his wife on March 19. He complained of breathing problems on March 26 and was taken to the Govt Medical College at Meerut where he was declared corona-positive on Sunday along with his wife and three relatives. All have been kept in the hospital isolation wards and are undergoing treatment. After reaching Meerut on March 19, the victim had also offered prayer in a mosque and attended a marriage party in which in he came in contact with many peoples, said the CMO. Fifty .....
                 

Combating COVID-19: MHA suspends officers for dereliction of duty, forms 11 Empowered Groups

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday suspended two officers with immediate effect and served a show-cause notice to another two officers for failing in ensuring public health and safety during the lockdown restrictions to combat COVID-19.Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department, GNCTD and Principal Secretary, Finance, GNCTD, and Divisional Commissioner, GNCTD are suspended with immediate effect whereas, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, and Land Building Department, GNCTD, and SDM Seelampur are served a show-cause notice.MHA said that these officers were responsible to ensure the compliance to instructions issued by the chairperson, National Executive Committee, formed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 regarding the containment of the spread of COVID-19, and have prima facie failed to do so."These officers failed to ensure public health and safety during the lockdown restrictions to combat COVID-19. Due to the serious lapse in performance of their duties, the ....
                 

Police official who shamed a labourer in MP sent to Police Lines

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

One lakh people from Odisha stranded in different parts of

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Around one lakh people from Odisha are stranded in different parts of the country amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown, and state government is taking steps to assist them in every way, a senior official said on Sunday. Special arrangements have been made to provide all help to workers, students, pilgrims and tourists stuck in other states from Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Ganjam and Jajpur, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said. At least 1,860 calls have been received at the control room set up in the home department to assist migrant workers, he said, adding, most people from the state are stranded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Odisha government is making efforts and getting in touch with the states concerned to ensure basic necessities for them, Tripathy said. He said nodal officers have also been appointed to coordinate with the concerned authorities and ensure proper stay and necessary support for the stranded persons. The chief .....
                 

Punjab CM seeks amendment for utilisation of 14th Finance Commission grants

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
To combat the COVID-19 crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to amend the conditions for the utilisation of the 14th Finance Commission grants for emergency relief in urban areas.According to a press release, seeking the personal intervention of the Union Finance Minister, Singh asked her to advise the Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs and Panchayati Raj to initiate immediate action in this regard so that the said grants could be used to make provision of emergency relief -- medicines, food, etc. -- for the poorest sections by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as a fit charge.ULBs and PRIs should be allowed to utilise grants received under the 14th Finance Commission for emergency provision of relief to mitigate the suffering caused in towns and villages due to the lockdown imposed in the country on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Chief Minister.In his letter, ...
                 

Muslim woman donates her savings for Hajj to RSS-affiliate

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A Muslim woman from Jammu and Kashmir has donated her savings of Rs 5 lakh, meant for the Hajj pilgrimage, to the RSS-affiliated 'Sewa Bharati' after apparently being "impressed with the welfare work" done by the outfit amid the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Khalida Begum, 87, who saved Rs 5 lakh for Hajj, was forced to defer her plans for the pilgrimage to due to ongoing lockdown. Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city of Muslims. "Khalida Begum ji was impressed with the welfare work done by the Sewa Bharati in Jammu and Kashmir during the tough time the country is passing through due to sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and decided to donate Rs 5 lakh to the organisation," Arun Anand, head of RSS media wing Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra (IVSK), said. The woman wants that this money should be used by the community service organisation Sewa Bharati for the poor and the needy in Jammu and Kashmir. She had saved this amount for ....
                 

Goa Health Minister rules out death of 68-yr-old due to COVID-19

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Odisha Chief Minister seeks PM's nod to release unemployment allowance to MGNREGA workers

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to allow the State to use the MGNREGA fund and release the unemployment allowance to the accounts of MGNREGA active workers of the State.The Chief Minister in his letter dated March 28, while stressing that poor people, particularly MGNREGA workers, have been "badly affected" due to the 21-days lockdown, said: "I would, therefore, request you to kindly consider the above proposal and allow the State to use the MGNREGA fund and release the unemployment allowance to the account of the MGNREGA active workers of Odisha."The Chief Minister said in Odisha, there are 36,10,797 active workers during the current year who are deprived of getting work under MGNREGA due to the lockdown."To protect their livelihood, an amount of Rs 380.39 crore, which is one-fourth of the wage rate as per the MGNREG Act may be sanctioned as unemployment allowance that will certainly help them to mitigate their sufferings .....
                 

Maha: 2 COVID-19 patients in Ahmednagar are foreign nationals

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Two people who tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar on Sunday are nationals of France and Ivory Coast, who had come to the city with 12 others as part of their visit to religious places, district officials said. Nine close contacts of these two positive patients have been sent for institutional quarantine and their samples have been dispatched for testing, they said. Police and district administration are looking for the remaining people, who had come in their contact. "A group of 14, including the two patients, had come to India from Mauritius recently. They first stayed in Delhi and then travelled to Mumbai, Chennai. They again went back to Delhi," a district official said. "On March 14, all of them came to Ahmednagar by train and stayed at a religious institution in the city," he said. On March 26, they came to Jamkhed in the district, he added. "The district administration received information about their presence at a religious institution for ....
                 

Govt carries out detailed review of coronavirus situation across country

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The government on Sunday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic including treatment of affected people, movement of thousands of migrant labourers and supplies of petroleum products and essential commodities across the country under the nation-wide lockdown. The review was conducted by a Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and comprising several key members of the Union Cabinet including Home Home Minister Amit Shah, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. Government sources said the ministers deliberated on various arrangements put in place for effective implementation of the 21-day lockdown which began on midnight Tuesday and is aimed at checking the spread of the virus infection. The unabated exodus of migrant workers from big cities to their villages after being left jobless also figured prominently at..
                 

Assam Cong leader urges PM to use Army vehicles for taking

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to arrange Army vehicles to transport all stranded people to their homes across the country. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to give food and accommodation to all the stranded people until they are sent home by following medical guidelines. "I would like to request you kindly to mobilize Army vehicles to transport these stranded and cash-strapped people to their respective homes," Saikia said in his letter. In case healthcare imperatives pertaining to the lockdown precludes their transportation at this stage, then instructions should be issued to ensure that all the stranded people are housed in vacant schools, colleges and other places with adequate provision of food, water, medicines and sanitizers, he added. "In this context, the Army may use the trains also under supervision, and arrange quarantine facilities before letting these people go .....
                 

COVID-19 claims second life in J-K, five more test positive in valley

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A 65-year-old coronavirus patient died while five people tested positive in Kashmir on Sunday, taking the number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 38, even as the administration roped in private hospitals and nursing homes to create additional isolation facilities in the Union Territory. The man, a resident of Tangmarg area in Baramulla district, was undergoing treatment for some ailment at SMHS Hospital, where he tested positive for the disease on Saturday. The officials said he was shifted to the Chest Diseases Hospital but died early Sunday morning. "Sad start to the day. Unfortunate demise of a coronavirus patient in Srinagar this morning," government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said in a tweet. With this, the death toll due to the pandemic in the union territory has risen to two. Another 65-year-old man died of coronavirus on Thursday. Of the fresh five cases in the Union Territory, Srinagar and Budgam reported two each, while Baramulla one. The administration is roping in private ...
                 

Smriti Irani sends over 100 food grain packets to Amethi

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
More than 100 packets containing essential edible items were distributed in different parts of Amethi on Sunday. The packets were sent by local MP Smriti Irani, who is also the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, and distributed among the needy people while also respecting the social distancing norms. Vijay Gupta, a spokesperson for the Union minister here, said the packets, which have Irani's photos on them, are being distributed in different parts of Amethi. "It contains essential edible items such as wheat flour, rice and pulse (dal). It will be given to needy people in remote areas with the help of Utthan Seva Sansthan (a non-government organisation)," he said. The minister has asked the district administration to provide a list of people, who have got no help from anywhere else, to give them such packets. In order to provide immediate help to people during the coronavirus (lockdown), the minister has prepared packets named Modi Kit', he said. He also said that a team..
                 

Authorities try to stop migrants' exodus from Delhi, CM says all arrangements in place

14 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
After three days of chaos, Delhi police on Sunday dispersed the hundreds of migrants who were converging at the inter-state bus terminals in a bid to return to their native places, as the Centre directed strict enforcement of the lockdown curbs to check the spread of coronavirus including sealing of borders. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said if the lockdown is not followed, the country will fail to contain the coronavirus outbreak, and assured the migrant workers that his government has made food and boarding arrangements for them. Police said more than 150 cases were registered and 3,811 people detained on Sunday for violating government orders. Though all inter-state bus service were suspended following the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night, thousands of daily wagers and labourers from Delhi, Haryana and even Punjab had been reaching Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan areas since Thursday after arduous treks on foot in a bid to ...
                 

Balance required between necessary lockdown & need to allow people access essential supplies: Omar

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Jammu and Kashmir administration should find a balance between the necessary lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus and the vital need to allow people access to essential supplies, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Sunday. Abdullah made the remarks over reports of people having difficulty accessing essential supplies like vegetables, milk and medicines in various parts of Srinagar and other areas because of the lockdown. "Hearing from various parts of Srinagar, probably true for other parts of J&K as well. People are struggling to access essential supplies like vegetables, milk & medicines because of the way the lockdown is being enforced," the NC leader wrote on Twitter. "I would urge the administration to urgently intervene & find a balance between the necessary lockdown & the vital need to allow people to access essential supplies," he said. In another tweet, Abdullah said the central government should have ordered a complete .....
                 

Stay home, it's biggest patriotism right now: Kejriwal

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Pleading migrant labourers to stay put in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that the "biggest patriotism" right now is to "stay wherever you are" and make the 21-day countrywide lockdown a success or India could fail against the coronavirus outbreak. Kejriwal said the country has to fight the virus with "Arjuna's vision", totally focussed. Thousands of labourers, rendered jobless due to the lockdown, had gathered at a bus terminus near UP-Delhi border and hundreds even started walking down thousands of kilometres in a desperate attempt to reach their homes, triggering fears that efforts to contain the spread of the virus could fail. In an online press briefing, the chief minister referred to mass exodus and warned if even one person among the labourers has the virus, he could infect others and the disease could reach the villages. "A large number of people are returning from cities to their villages. I appeal to them please stay wherever you are," Kejriwal said, .....
                 

Khattar orders sealing of Haryana borders to stop movement of migrant workers

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday directed deputy commissioners to completely seal all inter and intra-state borders to stop the movement of migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown, an official statement said. This comes hours after the Centre directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways during the lockdown. Since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, all business and economic activity has come to a virtual standstill, leaving migrant workers jobless. With no money to pay rent or buy food, thousands have set out on long journeys to their far-flung native villages, defying lockdown orders. Khattar directed that DCs that the migrant workers should be stopped wherever they are and not be allowed to move, the statement said. He gave the orders while presiding over a meeting with the DCs and superintendents of police via .....
                 

2 more test positive for coronavirus in AP; Tally moves to 21

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
: In fresh cases of person-to- person transmission, two people tested positive for coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, taking the total to 21 in the state. The cases were from Visakhapatnam and both were contacts of the person who had returned from Birmingham in England and tested positive for coronavirus on March 17, the Medical and Health Departments latest bulletin said. It said that of the total 85 samples tested in the state on Sunday, all except the two turned negative. Meanwhile, the 65-year-old person in Visakhapatnam, who returned from Medina and tested positive for Covid-19 on March 17, responded well to the treatment and was stable now. The patient (number 3 in the state) was tested negative for Covid-19 yesterday and today, the bulletin added. With two new cases on Sunday, Visakhapatnam topped the list in the state with six cases in all. Guntur and Vijayawada cities had four coronavirus positive cases each and Prakasam district three. Chittoor, East .....
                 

Ensure uninterrupted supply of essential items to public: Pb CM to state depts

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday ordered the departments concerned to take all possible steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities at the doorstep of the people so that they do not suffer any hardships amid curfew restrictions. The directions came after reports from several districts emerged in which many people complained of not getting essential commodities. The additional chief secretary (Home) issued detailed guidelines to all the administrative secretaries, heads of departments, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and police officers to ensure strict compliance of these orders, a government release said. The guidelines clarify that to ensure sufficient and continuous supply of essential commodities and services, the establishments, including retail, wholesale, must be kept open only for home delivery. The supply of food and beverages, including fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and meat, would be ensured to the people in a seamless .....
                 

COVID-19 : Congress writes to mobile cos seeking free calls for migrants

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Congress party on Sunday wrote a letter to owners of Jio, Vodafone-Idea, BSNL and Airtel seeking free calls on their networks for migrants amid coronavirus lockdown in the country."Congress has written to Mukesh Ambani (Jio), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Vodafone-Idea), PK Purwar (BSNL), and Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel) urging them to make incoming-outgoing calls free on their networks, for one month, for migrants amid coronavirus lockdown," said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.Earlier in the day, the central government has issued directives to state governments and union territories to put returning migrants in the nearest shelter by the State/Union Territory government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a period of 14 days as per standard health protocol.The development comes after hundreds of migrants, including daily wage workers, started to walk all the way to their hometowns from several cities, after the country was placed under a 21-day lockdown to contain .....
                 

Bus owner, 3 drivers arrested for violating lockdown

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A bus owner and his three drivers were arrested during a picket checking at the Dhaula Kuan Flyover on Sunday for carrying passengers in violation of the 21-day lockdown imposed across the country due to the coronavirus outbreak, police said. The bus owner, Om Prakash (47), and his drivers identified as Ashok Kumar (48), Subhash Chand (37) and Ram Shankar (45) were arrested, they said. During picket checking at the Dhaula Kuan Flyover, three private buses were intercepted and they were found to be carrying passengers, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said. Two cases were registered in this regard at the Chanakyapuri police station. All the three buses were seized and their drivers were arrested, he said. After investigation, police arrested Om Prakash who is the owner of the three buses, Yadav added...
                 

Combating COVID-19 : Centre sets up 11 empowered groups

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The central government on Sunday set up 11 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19, government sources said."The central government on Sunday set up 1111 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19. These empowered groups have been set up under the Disaster Management Act. The Department of Expenditure has issued special instructions to enable expeditious decision making in procurement matters," sources said.Sources told that each group has a senior representative from PMO and Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination."Out of these 11 empowered groups, 8 are headed by Secretary level officers while 2 by NITI Aayog members and 1 by CEO of NITI, Aayog. The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and to take all necessary steps for their time-bound implementation," sources added.The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus .....
                 

Delhi Police receives over 1,100 calls on helpline number in 24 hrs

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Delhi Police received over 1,100 calls since Saturday on its 24-hour helpline dedicated to addressing queries related to the coronavirus lockdown, officials said. The police has set up a 24-hour helpline number, 011-23469526, to resolve issues related to the ongoing lockdown through direct intervention as fast as possible, they said. Out of the 1,105 calls received, 213 were from outside Delhi, while 156 related to complaints of no food and money, which were also forwarded to NGOs for direct relief at their addresses. Fourteen calls were received regarding medical issues, while 536 about movement passes. The helpine number is being supervised by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Asif Mohd Ali. The food delivery network established in all 15 districts with involvement of nearly 400 NGOs/RWAs and good samaritans facilitated by Delhi Police has led to provision of meals and food packets at more than 250 locations which enabled feeding of nearly 1,32,000 people, police said...
                 

Govt sets up high-level panels to deal with situation post lockdown; restore normalcy

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The government on Sunday constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. These groups constituted for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19 and work under the overall guidance of P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, sources said. The initiative is being viewed as pro-active step by the government to deal with multiple challenges, which the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19 has posed and made the country deal with emergency situation, they said, adding these groups will also work on strategy for restoring normalcy in their respective sectors, including healthcare, in the shortest possible time frame. The sources further said that these groups have been set up under the Disaster Management Act, and the Department of Expenditure has issued special instructions to enable .....
                 

Guj: Coronavirus positive cases rise to 63, death toll now 5

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
With eight new coronavirus positive cases reported in Gujarat on Sunday, the number of infected persons in the state climbed to 63, a senior health department official said. The death toll due to coronavirus went up to five in the state after a 45-year-old man died in a hospital in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the official said. In Ahmedabad, one COVID-19 patient was discharged from the hospital, making him the first person in the state to fully recover from the infection and sent back home, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi told reporters. "Eight new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday- four in Ahmedabad, and one each in Rajkot, Surat, Porbandar and Gir Somnath, taking the total number of COVID-19 positive patients to 63," she said. Of these eight new cases, four were infected due to local transmission, three with history of travel to Dubai and Germany, while another with history of inter-state travel, she said. With Porbandar district reporting its first COVID-19 ....
                 

20 new cases in Kerala, migrant workers hit streets

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Kerala reported 20 positive cases of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total number of those undergoing treatment for the deadly infection in the state to 181 while 1.41 lakh people are under observation, Health Minister K K Shailaja said. While Kannur reported eight cases, seven were reported from the worst-affected Kasaragod and one each from Thrissur, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram districts, Shailaja said in a statement here. On the fifth day of the three-week national lockdown, the state saw hundreds of migrant workers coming out on streets in Chenganassery in Kottayam district, demanding arrangements for their travel back home with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying some forces were trying to create unrest and forced the workers to indulge in such acts. With continued' blockade of inter-state roads by neighbouring Karanataka "affecting" movement of essential commodities, Vijayan shot off a second letter in two days to Prime Minister .....
                 

EPCH cancels IHGF spring fair amid coronavirus outbreak

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has cancelled IHGF-Delhi Fair, which was scheduled to be held in April, in view of the coronavirus outbreak, Textiles Ministry said on Sunday. Director General of EPCH, Rakesh Kumar said as the nation is in a state of lockdown, it has become unviable to organise a show of such magnitude in near future. The fair, which was slated to be held from 15-19 April, was postponed on expectations that the situation would improve and it could be organised sometime in June or July. Over 10,000 visitors, including 7,000 overseas buyers and their representatives, were expected to turn up for the show, which was to host over 3,200 exhibitors, displaying handicrafts from across the country. "Handicraft being a cluster based activity, the exports from major craft clusters like Moradabad, Saharanpur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Agra, Narsapur, Firozabad, North-eastern region and many others is going to be affected with the cancellation of this fair," the ministry .....
                 

Centre orders closure of state borders, says migrants to be put in 14-day quarantine

16 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Centre on Sunday asked the state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of migrant workers, who will be put in 14-day quarantine at destinations. During a video conference with the state chief secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. "There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," an official statement said. Later, at a press conference, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Punya Salila Srivastava said those migrant workers who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the curb will be put in 14 days quarantine at their destinations. The Union Home Ministry issued an order in this regard on Sunday afternoon, saying "the ...