"If we are not able to manage the upcoming 21-day lockdown(of nationwide complete lockdown), we will be pushed back 21 years. This lockdown is in a way a curfew and would be more stringent than Janta Curfew. This is not a PM speaking, but a family member of 140 crore Indians," said PM Modi.
Stressing on the need for social distancing, he said, "Social distancing is the only way to tackle the Coronavirus. The pandemic has made many powerful countries helpless. Challenges are increasing despite all efforts," said PM Modi.
Urging everyone to stay inside their homes during the lockdown period, PM Modi said, "There is just one way to deal with Coronavirus - no matter what, we should stay at home. This is time for patience and discipline; I appeal to you with folded hands to remember people are putting their lives at risk for our safety."
During his speech, PM Modi showed a placard that he liked which carried the word Corona in hindi and its syllables were expanded to read 'Koi Road Par Na Nikle' (No one should come out on roads).
PM Modi shows a Hindi poster saying co-ro-na means 'Koi Road Par Na Nikle' (No one should come out on roads). The only way to protect us from #CoronaVirus is not to cross the #LakshmanRekha of our homes, says Modi#lockdown #COVID2019 #IndiaFightsCorona #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/xjQFpWj7hz
— OTV (@otvnews) March 24, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces nationwide 21-day lockdown starting from 12 PM tonight#CoronavirusLockdown #21Days #21daylockdown pic.twitter.com/Lzb1R2Guk5
— OTV (@otvnews) March 24, 2020
“The only way to protect us from Coronavirus is not to cross the Lakshman Rekha of our homes," he said.
"Today India is at the stage where our actions will decide to what extent we can bring down the impact of this disaster. This is the time to strengthen our resolve again and again," he added.
PM Modi also took to Twitter to assure everyone that essential commodities, medicines would be available in the lockdown period.
My fellow citizens,
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO PANIC.
Essential commodities, medicines etc. would be available. Centre and various state governments will work in close coordination to ensure this.
Together, we will fight COVID-19 and create a healthier India.
Jai Hind!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2020
This was Prime Minister Modi's second address to the country regarding coronavirus. In his first address, he had urged Indians to observe 'Janata Curfew'.
The Centre has asked the state governments to ensure unhindered operation of essential services and their seamless availability for the general public during the 21-day lockdown period.
In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the Union Home Ministry said all states and UTs should actively enforce social distancing and isolation for COVID-19 through lockdown and prohibitory measures with exemptions for supply chain and transportation of essential goods and services in and out of the state.
Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines for the #21daylockdown period in the country and list of essential services that will remain open #CoronavirusLockdown #21Days #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/JBWnsPrWYY
— OTV (@otvnews) March 24, 2020
The ministry said while it was imperative to successfully implement the notified lockdown/restrictions, it was also necessary to ensure the unhindered operations of manufacturing, processing, transportation, distribution, storage, trade/commerce and logistics related to all services/establishments and commodities required for the delivery of essential services, which have been exempted under the various prohibitory orders.
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak: PM Modi Announces 21-Day Nationwide Lockdown
"In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlessly available at ground level it would be necessary for each State/UT to set-up a 24x7 control room/office with helplines (at state/ district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods/ services including during inter-state movement," the communication said.
Central government directs States to ensure unhindered movement of essential goods and services in States/UTs including inter-state movement, to ensure continuity of supply chains, during COVID-19 lockdown #COVID2019 #CoronavirusLockdown #coronavirusindia pic.twitter.com/qFxdbskCWp
— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 25, 2020
The ministry said a nodal officer may be appointed in a state to coordinate with the district administration/police in this matter.
This is necessary to ensure continuity of supply chain for essential commodities, several of which may be of perishable nature
It may also be necessary to lay down a standard operating protocol for unhindered operation of essential services/establishments and commodities, including appointment of nodal officers at inter-state borders, issue of vehicular passes etc.
The ministry said state helpline facilities may be also made available to ensure adequate protection to essential service providers, government or PSU employees/ healthcare workers engaged in providing essential services or requisitioned for administrative exigencies in each state/UT from any unwanted stigmatisation by any local person on any grounds, including their working in an exposed environment (like hospitals, public facilities, essential service facilities etc).
"In view of the above, it is accordingly requested to issue suitable directions to set up a nodal control room/office with helplines in the state and appoint a nodal officer immediately," it said.
The details of such helpline numbers may be given wide publicity in the state/UT concerned, the ministry said.
All government offices, the offices of state and union territory governments, autonomous institutions, public corporations, commercial, private, industrial establishments shall remain closed, the guidelines issued by the ministry said.
However, fair price shops and those dealing with food, groceries, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, animal fodder will remain open, it said.
Banks, insurance offices, print and electronic media will also remain open, according to the guidelines.
All transport services -- air, rail and roadways -- shall remain suspended during the three-week period, it said.
"In case of funerals, congregations of not more than 20 persons will be permitted," it said. Hospitality services and educational institutions will remain suspended during the period.
Also Read: Zero Tolerance Towards Coronavirus Lockdown Violations: Odisha Govt
However, hotels, homestays, lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and people stranded due to the lockdown, medical and emergency staff, air and sea crew have been exempted, it said.
Defence, Central Armed Police Forces, treasury, public utilities including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG, disaster management, power, warning agencies, state police, home guards, fire and emergency services, district administration and treasury, electricity, water, sanitation, and Municipal bodies (only staff required for essential services) have been exempted from lockdown, it said.
Ministry of Home Affairs issues guidelines for offences and penalties during the 21-day countrywide lockdown. #CoronavirusLockdown #21Days #21daysoflockdown pic.twitter.com/sQtsM5S4XW
— OTV (@otvnews) March 24, 2020
These offices should work with minimum number of employees while all other offices will work from home, it said.
District Magistrates shall deploy Executive Magistrates as incident commander to oversee overall implementation of these measures, it said.
To ensure strict implementation of these measures, the government has invoked Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management of Act which mandates up to two years of imprisonment for any violation by individuals, companies or officials involved in implementation, they said.
The Union Home Ministry has asked state governments to check the spread of rumours about shortage of food and other essential commodities.
In a communication to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, the ministry asked them to take action to allay apprehensions and maintain peace and tranquillity, and inform people about the availability of food, medicine and other essential commodities.
The ministry said that in the wake of the orders issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (for lockdown), there were possibilities of rumour-mongering, including those about shortage of food and other essential services and commodities.
"In this context, it is imperative that all state governments and Union Territory administrations take necessary steps to suitably publicise through all available means that food, medical and civil supplies, and other essential services will be maintained and there are adequate supplies available in the country," the communication said.
The ministry also requested the chief secretaries and the DGPs to disseminate information and provisions of the guidelines issued on the measures to be taken during the 21-day lockdown period for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the country.
Delivery of all essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, through e-commerce, has also been exempted from the purview of the lockdown, it said.
"All enforcing authorities to note that these strict restrictions fundamentally relate to the movement of people, but not to that of essential goods," it said.
(With PTI inputs)
Commissionerate Police today temporarily shifted the vegetable traders of Unit-1 Haat for a period of 45 days to AG Square and Rajmahal chhak. The move comes in the wake of the rush among public to buy vegetables and as per the ongoing strategy to maintain social distancing.
Official sources said that the decision has been taken keeping in view the non-availability of adequate space at Unit-1 Haat to maintain social distancing.
Commissionerate Police temporarily shifts Unit-1 haat in #Bhubaneswar & relocates vegetable traders at the entire stretch between AG chhak & Rajmahal chhak in order to manage crowd & ensure #SocialDistancing #Odisha #CoronavirusOutbreak #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/zFa4uHiAG3
— OTV (@otvnews) March 26, 2020
Also Read: Coronavirus Lockdown In Odisha: Dhabas, Vehicle Repair Shops Alongside Highways To Remain Open
"As Odisha government, Commissionerate Police and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials have taken a decision for relocation, we will abide by the order in view of the Coronavirus outbreak," said a trader.
A majority of the vegetable traders will be relocated to Unit-1 High School ground. A senior BMC official informed that the traders have been directed to maintain proper hygiene and follow the prescribed norms of social distancing.
As a precautionary measure against #COVID19, to avoid decongestion & to follow the #SocialDistancing protocol all the markets/Haats will be shifted to nearby vacant spaces along the road/open spaces/playgrounds to ensure that every locality gets easy access to essential items. pic.twitter.com/rAuNGxmL2N
— BMC (@bmcbbsr) March 26, 2020
A day after the social distancing norms were thrown to the wind at the vegetable market in Chhatrabazaar in Cuttack, the district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) initiated special measures to ensure proper distancing between buyers and sellers is maintained.
The officials are making sure a safe distance is maintained by drawing squares, circles and lines in front of the kiosks selling vegetables at Chhatrabazaar, which is the largest vegetable market in the State.
The move comes after chaotic scenes were witnessed with people crowding the vegetable market without any concern for social distancing.
Apart from Chhatrabazaar, similar markings to ensure that people come in a queue and maintain a safe distance have also been made in front of several grocery shops and other establishments selling essential commodities.
Senior CMC officials informed that adequate awareness is being created among people so that they maintain at least 1-meter distance from people around them whenever they step out of their homes to buy essential commodities. The civic body warned of serious action in case of any violations.
Apart from Cuttack, dedicated markings in front of shops have been made by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to maintain social distancing among buyers while they are buying essential items.
Besides, regular cleanliness drive including road sweeping, garbage lifting, door-to-door garbage collection is being carried out across the city to keep the surroundings clean in Bhubaneswar.
BMC team with the help of market representatives have marked spots in the market areas of the city, which will help in maintaining #SocialDistancing among buyers while they are buying essential items.#StayHomeStaySafe #OdishaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/4FIocpfqse
— BMC (@bmcbbsr) March 25, 2020
Also Read: COVID-19 Lockdown Triggers Panic Buying Across Odisha, Traders Blame Govt
In Berhampur also, the district administration and its local civic body initiated a number of measures to create awareness among people about Covid-19. Senior officials of Berhampur Municipal Corporation informed that learning from the best practices adopted by other States in the country, a system for social distancing at various shops providing essential commodities has been introduced.
From proper markings to hygiene, efforts are now underway to promote social distancing at several vending zones and shops in Berhampur.
#SocialDistancing soothing scene from one of the vending zone this morning. They are doing their part, are you?@Ganjam_Admin @DRDAGanjamOff pic.twitter.com/vo188gfXqD
— BERHAMPUR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (@BrahmapurCorp) March 26, 2020
Headed by lyricist Javed Akhtar, the IPRS will provide money to around 3150 authors and music composers across various geographies to meet their basic needs for the next three weeks as the country battles the outbreak.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that this is necessary for a decisive battle against the pandemic.
"It is our duty to support the call made by our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi for society to support each other through this 21-day lock down period. IPRS is what it is because of all its members," Akhtar, IPRS chairperson, said in a statement.
In these challenging and trying times, IPRS, a copyright society mandated by the government of India, as a custodian of its creator members, stands shoulder to shoulder with all its members, the industry veteran said.
"This payment by IPRS is our contribution for the time being to help our creator members tide over this period of the 21-day lockdown to be able to purchase basic necessities," Akhtar added.
Akhtar did not specify the amount in the relief fund but said IPRS will be reaching out to its members to facilitate disbursement of the relief amounts on an immediate basis.
Meanwhile, filmmakers and actors, including Karan Johar, Taapsee Pannu, and Ayushmann Khurrana, have pledged their support to a new initiative aimed at supporting the daily wage-earners who have been severely affected by the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus.
Read More: Coronavirus Outbreak: PM Modi Announces 21-Day Nationwide Lockdown From Tonight
The initiative, I Stand With Humanity, started by organisations -- the International Association for Human Values, the Art of Living Foundation and the Indian Film and TV Industry, will provide families of daily wage workers with 10 days of essential food supplies.
"I pledge to contribute and support this initiative! This is a situation that needs all our help, love, care and support," Karan posted on Twitter.
Taapsee said everyone must come forward to help the daily wage workers.
"This one for the daily wage workers. Because we need to do our bit for the ones who work with/for us. If not corona, lack of basic food might take them down. Let's help them to get through this," the actor wrote.
Ayushmann described the initiative as "truly noble".
"I vow to support this and contribute. India and Indians are under threat and each one of us have the power to make a difference. Let's support and care for each other as much as we can in this time of crisis. #Istandwithhumanity," he tweeted.
Also Read: COVID-19 Outbreak: G20 Announces $5 Trillion To Deal With Coronavirus Crisis
Kiara Advani and Rakul Preet Singh also pledged to contribute towards the initiative.
"Let's contribute! While some of us are safe at home, we can help those struggling right now... donate," Kiara said.
Rakul tweeted, "I support this noble initiative. Happy to contribute for this humanitarian cause. While staying safe at home, I urge every one else also to contribute online."
I support this noble initiative. Happy to contribute for this humanitarian cause. While staying safe at home i urge every one else also to contribute online - https://t.co/4ZMxvRadBJ#iStandWithHumanity #ArtOfLiving #BMC pic.twitter.com/zD69gAL1qT
— Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet) March 26, 2020
Actor Varun Sharma said, "I pledge to contribute & support this initiative #iStandWithHumanity"
"In times like these, we need to step up for the ones in need. I'm happy to contribute for this humanitarian cause. And guys whoever can help, you all can also contribute online," actor Sidharth Malhotra tweeted.
Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari wrote, "There are a lot of daily wage earners who need our help during this tough time. Please help as much as you can. Here's the link to contribute online."
Actor Bhumi Pednekar said it was important to get together and help those who are "vulnerable and in need".
Actor Dia Mirza said, "We are in this together. YES we will help #DailyWageEarners get through this with hope and dignity. I am contributing to this effort and I hope many others in our fraternity will do as well."
Filmmakers Aanand L Rai and Sanjay Gupta have also backed the cause.
One of the greatest gift a person can give another, is support. I whole heartily support this noble initiative. While staying safe at home i urge every one else also to contribute online - https://t.co/IXCYCUrB6h#iStandWithHumanity #ArtOfLiving #BMC pic.twitter.com/LdanrUzK9K
— AANAND L RAI (@aanandlrai) March 26, 2020
Gupta called upon the public to help the daily wage-earners through the initiative.
On March 18, the Producers Guild of India had announced that they have set up a relief fund for daily wage-earners impacted by the shutdown of film, television and web productions amid coronavirus pandemic.
Their decision came after many filmmakers, including Sudhir Mishra, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap, raised concerns over the impact of shutdown on the daily wage workers.
(With Agency Inputs)
The announcement was made at a time a nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus outbreak has left wage labourers with no work and financial resources.
The government will clear all pending wages under the employment guarantee scheme amounting to Rs 11,499 crore by April 10, out of which Rs 4,431 crore has been released till Friday, officials said.
They said all the funds will be transferred directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Officials said the increase in wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will came into effect from April 1.
Read: Fighting Coronavirus: Nirmala Sitharaman Announces Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore Relief Package
With this rise in wages, the national average wage under MGNREGA will increase to Rs 202 per person per day from Rs 182.
There are 13.62 crore job card holders under the MGNREGA, out of which 8.17 crore are active job card holders.
Officials also informed that individual-oriented work under MGNREGA such as work carried out by beneficiaries belonging to SCs and STs on their own land may continue.
Similarly, the work done by women who are bread-earners of their families on their own land may also continue during the lockdown.
But all other MGNREGA works have been stopped due to the threat of coronavirus.
The Union Rural Development Ministry had increased the rate of wages under the MGNREGA for 2019-20 fiscal with approval from the Election Commission. The wages had increased in a range of two to 8.76 per cent in most of the states except West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa, where the wages had not been increased for the 2019-20 fiscal. Among the states, the increase of wages in Mizoram was the highest at 8.76 per cent from Rs 194 to Rs 211.
(With Agency Inputs)
Also Read: Coronavirus Outbreak Effect: RBI Sets Up War-Room To Operate Monetary Works
A first of its kind premium mental healthcare facility, Sukoon aims to alleviate anxiety during the curfew by opening telephonic and messaging facilities to citizens across India. The online counseling service not just for patients but any citizen who is feeling anxious, depressed or helpless at home during these times. Sukoon health is gearing up for a formal opening and will soon be backed by Fortis. In the meanwhile, it has set up a 24/7 service for anyone who wants to chat and share their stress with a health care professional.
Vidit Bahri, who co-founded Sukoon Healthcare - a Gurugram-based Super Specialty Hospital focused on mental health - with Kanishk Gupta, says they have received close to 40 calls in the past one week from people seeking stress-based and relationship-based guidance in these trying times.
"We've had a virtual therapy option live since the last four months, but only 10 percent of people would opt for that. Because mental health is so personal, the physical contact you have with your therapist goes a long way. In India, taking on a new patient and issuing medicine prescriptions online is not allowed. But, the government has allowed telemedicine." "Because we are minimising social contact in the Coronavirus crisis, almost all of our patients have shifted online, and new people are calling in to seek help as well," Bahri told IANSlife over telephone. Sukoon has a team of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and art-based therapists - who consult online, along with in-patient at their facility.
Read: COVID19 Outbreak: Tips For Parents To Keep Their Little Ones Safe
Virtual therapy entails identifying the caller's concerns, matching them to a suitable psychologist or counsellor, noting the mental health conditions, risk factors, and working through a possible resolution - on a case-to-case basis.
As demands for affordable healthcare emerges, especially among millennials and younger people, the facility is keeping its hourly session costs between Rs 500 and Rs 2000. The tele-counselling services are available via Skype, Zoom or via a phone call.
Bahri also lists a few tips to help everyone stay calm, while they stay indoors.
Follow a routine as close as possible to your regular lifestyle. Try and maintain some semblance of structure from the pre-quarantine days. For those individuals with children, sticking to a routine might be easier; however as you work from home, it could be tempting to fall into a more lethargic lifestyle, which could lead to negative thinking. Wake up and go to bed around the same time, eat meals, shower, adapt your exercise regimen, and get out of your pyjamas.
Re-organise space in your house to accommodate for the constraints of the current living situation on maintaining a healthy and regular routine. With all the uncertainty happening outside your home, keep the inside organized, predictable and clean. A cluttered home can cause you to become uneasy and claustrophobic of your environment, so keep it tidy.
Limit the duration of consuming content related to COVID-19. Set specific time limits on news watching In case you feel your social media is full of Coronavirus-related content, consider taking a break and limiting the amount of time spent on social media. Unfollow accounts that tend to trigger negative emotions.
Utilise board games, listen to upbeat or calming music, and engage in movies, gardening, painting, drawing, and dancing.
Connect with others. While social distancing can make everyone feel more alone, actively avoid the trap by getting in touch with your dear ones and reducing the sense of perceived isolation.
(With Agency Inputs)
Also Read: People With Blood Type A More Vulnerable To Coronavirus, O At Low Risk: Study
The reading materials are for all age groups and are focused on the post-Corona readership requirements. NBT also aims to provide relevant information on the psychological, social, economic and cultural significance of Coronavirus Pandemic for the human society in times to come.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 21-days nationwide lockdown to control the spread of Coronavirus in the country. Though the lockdown has proven to be helpful in controlling the spread of the virus, many people are still unsure about the future. Apart from that many even are unaware about the pandemic and its related information in detail.
“In response to the national crisis of this proportion, we believe that as a national institution it is our duty to take initiatives within our domain area to provide support in the form of new reading materials. The ‘Corona Studies Series’ seeks to be our long-term contribution to prepare and engage readers with the various aspects of the Corona times by bringing out affordable books in various Indian languages in the identified subject areas. It will also provide suitable platform to authors and researchers willing to contribute in this genre,” said Professor Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman, National Book Trust, India.
“We have been closely following the Corona-related developments and taking cues from the multi-dimensional initiatives of our parent Ministry of HRD’s (Government of India) initiatives to meet the challenges of the Corona Pandemic. As a body for reading promotion, we find that we have a significant role to play. Accordingly, we started #StayHomeIndiaWithBooks initiatives by uploading PDFs of some of our select and bestselling titles for free downloads, and we have been receiving tremendous response,” said Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, National Book Trust, India.
Malik added, “Taking a comprehensive view, we are launching this publishing series. As the first step, we have set-up a Study Group comprising of some experienced and young psychologists/counsellors to prepare books on the sub-series on ‘Psycho-Social Impact of Corona Pandemic and the Ways to Cope’. We hope to bring out both e-editions and printed editions of these books soon enough as support materials for the readers.”
“We have identified various areas for preparing suitable reading materials under the ‘Corona Studies Series’. Besides, the sub-series on the Psycho-Social Impact on various segment of population due to Corona crisis, we are preparing children’s books to let them know about Our Corona Warriors, and other story and picture books related to various aspects of Corona to create awareness. Also, books focused on art, literature, folklore, economic and sociological aspects, science/health awareness emerging out of the Corona pandemic, and the lockdown, are also in the pipeline”, said Shri Kumar Vikram, Senior Editor of National Book Trust, India, who is leading the Project.
The NBT Study Group comprises of Dr. Jitender Nagpal, Dr.Harsheeta, Sq. Ldr (Rtd.) Meena Arora, Lt. Col. Tarun Uppal, Mrs. Rekha Chauhan, Mrs. Sonie Sidhu and Ms. Aparajita Dixit.
In a series of tweets, Modi shared the animated videos of him doing Yoga that were uploaded on the YouTube in 2018.
"During yesterday's 'Mann Ki Baat', someone asked me about my fitness routine during this time. Hence, thought of sharing these Yoga videos. I hope you also begin practising Yoga regularly," Modi shared the link "https://t.co/Ptzxb7R8dN".
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1244456351180316672
Modi said he is neither a fitness expert nor a medical expert.
"Practising Yoga has been an integral part of my life for many years and I have found it beneficial. I am sure many of you also have other ways of remaining fit, which you also must share with others."
The Yoga videos are available in different languages, "Do have a look. Happy Yoga practicing....," the Prime Minister said.
India is under 21-day lockdown due to Coronavirus from March 23 midnight.
Also Read: Motto Of Yoga Is Peace, Prosperity, Harmony: PM Modi On International Day Of Yoga
(With IANS Inputs)
https://youtu.be/fIF016JROiA?list=PLBG6UuYpOcTtJuejaJLPYjhEcjdslRWGY
"Certain media reports have come on a post lockdown restoration plan with train details, frequency etc. It is to clarify that no such plan regarding the resumption of passenger services has been issued. All concerned would be duly informed about any further decision in this regard," informed the Ministry of Railways through a tweet.
Certain media reports have come on a post lockdown "restoration plan" with train details,frequency etc. It is to clarify that no such plan regarding the resumption of passenger services has been issued.All concerned would be duly informed about any further decision in this regard
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 4, 2020
Earlier, rumours were abuzz that the Railways has started preparation to resume all its passenger services from April 15 post the end of COVID-19 lockdown. It was also said that all railway safety personnel, running staff, guards, TTE and other officials have been told to be prepared to join their posts from April 15.
Read: COVID-19 Lockdown: Railways Extends Suspension Of Passenger Trains Till April 14
Besides, citing a railway ministry source, it was stated that after the 21-day lockdown ending on April 14, the national transporter is likely to restore 80 per cent of passenger train services including premium train services like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Tejas and Vande Bharat trains.
Asked about whether it will ensure the safety of passengers as well as the railway staff involved in train operations, the source reportedly said that the railway is likely to conduct thermal screening of all passengers and follow all protocols as advised by the government. However, he said that no fresh orders have been issued and since cancellations were only up to April 14, "no fresh orders are required for starting the operations with effect from April 15."
The Railways had suspended the services of 13,523 trains for 21 days after the lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, freight trains and special parcel trains are in service to ensure the supply of essential items.
Also Read: Fighting COVID-19: Railways To Modify 20000 Coaches Which Can Accommodate 3.2 Lakh Isolation Beds
(With Agency Inputs)
Various actions have been initiated by the Government of India along with the States/UTs for the prevention, containment, and management of COVID-19 in the country. These are being regularly monitored at the highest level.
In order to address the requirements of containment and management of COVID-19 in the country, various levels of health professionals including doctors, nursing professionals, allied healthcare professionals, and others have been engaged and are working relentlessly. As many as 9.70 lakh ASHAs, one lakh AYUSH professionals, NCC Cadets, ex-Servicemen, Red Cross/NSS/ NYK volunteers, employees from gram panchayats and Urban Local Body employees, Civil Society Organisations may be involved as required. A Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for reallocation of residents/ PG Students and nursing students as part of hospital management has been prepared. Additionally, more than 31,000 doctors including retired doctors from Government, Armed Forces Medical Services, Public Sector undertaking, and private doctors have voluntarily signed up to join the fight against COVID-19.
30 Training Modules have so far been prepared and compiled on various topics such as clinical management, ventilator support, infection prevention and control, quarantine management etc. The details are available online on the Health Ministry website.
It has been observed that most of the deaths are being reported from elderly people or people having co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney/ cardiac issues etc. Hence, all people falling in the high risk category need to follow all precautions. Moreover, an age profile analysis of all the positive cases being reported so far shows that:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reviewing the countrywide preparedness regarding the availability of hospitals, proper isolation, and quarantine facilities as well as disease surveillance, testing and critical care training and also directed the concerned groups and officials to ensure sufficient production, procurement, and availability of all essential medical equipment such as PPEs, masks, gloves, and ventilators.
PM Modi chaired a joint meeting of the Empowered Groups constituted for planning and ensuring the implementation of COVID-19 response activities in the country.
PM Modi has appealed to the people to voluntarily switch off their lights between 9:00 p.m. to 9:09 p.m. on the 5th of April. Some apprehensions have been expressed that this may cause instability in the grid and fluctuation in voltage which may harm the electrical appliances. These apprehensions are misplaced.
Also Read: Over 30,000 Doctors Volunteer To Join Fight Against COVID-19
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued consolidated guidelines on the lockdown measures to be taken by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India, State/Union Territory Governments and State/ Union Territory Authorities for containment of COVID-19 epidemic in the country, on 24.03.2020 and further modified on 25.03.2020, 26.03.2020 and 02.04.2020.
States advised to inform District authorities and field agencies regarding the clarifications so as to avoid any ambiguity at the ground level. At the ground level, different interpretations are being made on the items given exceptions, which hinder the smooth flow of the supply chain of these essential items. Suggestions have also been received from some quarters in regard to these Guidelines.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an addendum to the guidelines, and subsequent addendums, to all Ministries/Departments regarding the nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19. The addendum exempts from lockdown restrictions the shops of agricultural machinery, its spare parts (including its supply chain) and repair; truck repair shops on highways, preferably at fuel pumps; and the Tea industry, including plantations with a maximum of 50% workers.
The Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) had sent an advisory to all States regarding granting of an exception to Agricultural operations from lockdown restrictions to fight COVID-19 in India, keeping in mind the harvesting and sowing season. With this advisory, exceptions have been allowed for farming operations by farmers and farmworkers, procurement of agricultural productions, operation of Mandis, movement of harvesting and sowing related machinery, etc.
For severe disruption in the normal working of almost all sectors following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBDT issued directions/clarifications by the exercise of its power u/s 119 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 to mitigate the hardships of taxpayers. The orders passed u/s 119 of the Act are available on www.incometaxindia.gov.in under the head Miscellaneous Communications.
The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan today visited Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital to take stock of preparedness to overcome COVID-19. The Union Minister visited the fever ward, new surgical ward block, Dietary Department, Special Ward, Corona Screening Center, Corona Care Unit and I.C.U. After a detailed review and inspection of the various wards and premises of the Hospital, the Health Minister expressed satisfaction & commended working of the departments and appreciated the dedication and hard work of the frontline health workers deployed there.
Following the assurance given by PM Modi during his video conference meeting with the Chief Ministers, Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the release of Rs 11,092 crores under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF), to all States.
In view of the current unforeseen situation of public health emergency, Election Commission of India invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 has further extended the period of Rajya Sabha election beyond the prescribed term(s) of 18 seats across seven States.
Face mask production has been initiated by Self Help Groups (SHGs) members in 24 States covering 399 districts of the country under the Ministry of Rural Development’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
CSIR-IMTECH is supporting healthcare professionals by providing Personal Protection Equipment. To boost its testing capacity, CSIR-IMTECH has stepped up to take up COVID-19 sample testing. COVID-19 has posed several challenges to the healthcare sector. The limited number of test kits for COVID-19 is one such challenge. As of now, India has been primarily testing patients with travel history. However, the rate of testing should improve in terms of testing per million population.
Read More: COVID-19 Cases Spiked Due To Tablighi Jamaat: Union Health Ministry
Indian Railways has been fulfilling its commitment to ensure availability of important raw material and fuel through its freight services to meet the requirements of the power transport and key infrastructure sectors during the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19. During the situation of lockdown, Indian Railways staff deployed at various good sheds, stations and control offices continued working with full devotion to ensure that the supply of essential items for these critical sectors does not gets affected. Due to relentless operations of Railways, all power plants and Petroleum depots have comfortable stock with them in spite of COVID-19 lockdown.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is undertaking continuous efforts at the policy level and ground level to add substantially in the fight against COVID-19 in India. The cargo delivered to various parts of the country includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits & PPE, masks, gloves & other accessories of HLL & cargo requisitioned by State/UT Governments and also postal packets.
The Ministry of Tourism held a virtual conference with the Industry associations of the Tourism and Hospitality sector on Friday. The VC was led by Secretary Tourism, Shri Yogendra Tripathi along with senior officials of the Ministry. The Associations represented through remote conferencing were FAITH, which is the mother of 9 bodies, the CII, FICCI, PHDCCI, and IMAI.
Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' today interacted with heads, students and teachers of several universities, colleges, and schools, across the country through video conferencing about the coronavirus spread across the country and the world. Shri Nishank expresses gratitude to all the teachers and students for playing an active role in the war against COVID-19.
In view of the outbreak of COVID19 and National lockdown, some students have been facing difficulties due to the closure of colleges and hostels. In order to provide help and support to such students, AICTE has come out with a unique MHRD AICTE COVID-19 Student Helpline Portaltoaddress the issues. The website was launched by the Honorable Minister for Human Resource development.
Minister of Shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh Mandaviya today held a meeting through Video Conference with the stakeholders of Ports including Port users, Courier and Cargo Services, Representatives of the Custom Brokers Associations from the various parts of the country, Logistic service providers and others to assess the challenges and concerns caused due to COVID-19 and lockdown in the country on the Port Operations. The meeting was also attended by the Officers of the Ministry of Shipping and Chairpersons of all Major Ports.
In the ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and in support of the populace in distress, Goa Naval Area continues to extend a helping hand to the locals through the distribution of food and essential supplies during the nationwide lockdown.
Indian Air Force continues its support to contain the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. The medical supplies are being transported to equip the state governments and supporting agencies to combat the contagion effectively and efficiently. IAF airlifted essential medical supplies and commodities from nodal points to Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Mohanbari in North Eastern region; Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, and Agra in the Central region; and the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Also Read: NCC, Ex-Servicemen To Volunteer Fight Against COVID-19
Minister of State Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Human Resource Development Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched Hack the Crisis – India, an Online Hackathon to find working solutions for overcoming COVID-19 pandemic. This hackathon is part of a global initiative and is being organised by ‘Hack A Cause – India’ and ‘Ficci Ladies Organization Pune’ and supported by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India (MEITY).
Weinnovate Biosolutions, a Pune based startup supported jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has come up with a non-alcoholic aqueous-based Colloidal Silver solution uniquely made from its NanoAgCide technology for disinfecting hands and environmental surfaces.
Innovation Foundation – India (NIF), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India came up with a call inviting innovative citizens to participate in its Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3). All participants can openly share their creative ideas and innovations for problems or issues like reducing transmission of Coronavirus through original creative ideas, innovations.
For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/.
Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be emailed at technicalquery.covid19@gov.in and other queries on ncov2019@gov.in .
In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no. : +91-11-23978046 or 1075 (Toll-free). List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf .
Kartik Aaryan
Actor Kartik Aaryan has been unleashing his humorous side amidst coronavirus lockdown. On Sunday, he posted a video that shows him standing on the top of a car and waving his hand to the gathered crowd.
But more than the video, it was his caption that left netizens in splits.
"Aaj sapna aaya ki mujhe vaccine mil gayi hai," he joked.
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Reacting to the post, a user commented: "Biotechnology jo padha hai bhai ne."
And Kartik was too quick to respond back.
"You can remove a bhai from Biotechnology but you can't remove Biotechnology from bhai," Kartik quipped.
Alia Bhatt
After spending time in honing her writing skills a few days back, Alia Bhatt now seems to have developed a culinary knack to pass her lockdown hours. The actress baked a grain free paleo banana bread on Saturday.
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Not just Alia, her sister Shaheen also took part in baking activity. She a chocolate cake.
Sharing the photographs of the bread and the cake on Instagram, Alia wrote: "Stayed home & .. baked a little with the sister @shaheenb made the real chocolate cake & I made the grain free paleo banana bread."
Commenting on Alia's post, Jacqueline Fernandez wrote: "Yum".
Kriti Sanon asked Alia for tips and commented: "Was just gonna attempt the same today. Wish me luck. And any tips?"
Alia and Shaheen's mother Soni Razdan commented: "Still waiting for my share."
Huma Qureshi also asked for the recipe.
Meanwhile, reports claim that Alia might be tying the knot with rumoured boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor around December end. The wedding will reportedly be hosted in Mumbai unlike many B-Towners who have opted for exotic destination weddings in recent times.
Read More: Alia Bhatt And Ranbir Kapoor To Tie Knot After COVID-19 Lockdown Ends
Kareena Kapoor Khan
Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan ditched designers' jewellery to wear a necklace made by her little son, Taimur.
On Saturday, the "Jab We Met" actress took to her Instagram and posted a picture in which she is seen wearing a necklace made out of pasta. And the innovative homemade accessory is created by none other than the three-year-old Taimur.
Flaunting the jewellery, Kareena wrote: "Pasta la vista. Handmade Jewellery by Taimur Ali Khan."
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And Taimur's creativity has left netizens amused.
A user commented: "Adorable."
Another one commented: " So talented."
On the film front, Kareena will be next seen opposite Aamir Khan in "Laal Singh Chaddha", which is an official Hindi remake of the Hollywood film "Forrest Gump".
Taapsee Pannu
Actress Taapsee Pannu is utilising the lockdown time to experiment with her looks.
Taapsee took to Instagram, where she uploaded a photograph of herself with her new hairstyle. She chose to cut her tresses and is now sporting a chic bob.
The "Naam Shabana" actress captioned it: "Andddd the experiment continues...Since my hair couldn't handle that colour for long got it all chopped off. Heard ppl really get attached to their hair length but then I feel yeh 'ghar ki kheti' hai and I have full faith in my Punjabi genes So chop chop #Throwback#Archive #QuarantinePost."
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Taapsee's "Saand Ki Aankh" co-star Bhumi Pednekar couldn't believe the picture.
She took to the comment section and wrote: "One second is this a throw back or have you chopped off your hair."
"Mulk" director Anubhav Sinha wrote in Hindi: "What have you done?"
Actor Saqib Saleem said: "Please !! all I want to do is eat my egg white omelette."
The actress also had earlier shared a video post based on the same content of hair experiment.
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Rakul Preet Singh
Amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis, actress Rakul Preet Singh is helping over 200 families living in a slum close to her home in Gurugram. She says that it is a "small effort" to express her gratitude.
The actress along with her parents, Kulwinder Singh and Rajender, is sending packets of home-cooked food to them.
"My dad figured this entire slum where people are completely out of their basics. We are facilitating two meals a day for all those people and we have decided to do it till the time the lockdown is in place,a Rakul said.
"If the lockdown gets pushed further, I will keep doing that. For now, I have committed till the month of April and then we will see depending on the situation. The food would be cooked at a place in my society and will be sent out to those people," she added.
The actress said that everyone should be doing their bit especially during this time.
"It is very important to understand that many of us are privileged. We have a house, help, food, ability to stack up in case of emergency but this is when you give it to the society. For me, nothing can give me more happiness than the smiles on these people's faces when they will eat their meal. And that will make me extremely happy," she said, adding: "So that's my way of expressing my gratitude for everything I have and it is a very small effort. Whoever can make a difference should, because I truly believe in giving back to society."
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Preity Zinta
Unable to hit the gym owing to the nationwide COID-19 lockdown, Preity Zinta has been using her pet pup Bruno as a weight while performing biceps curls. The actress claims this workout increases jaw strength in dogs!
Preity shared a hilarious video on Instagram where she can be seen trying to workout with her dog and wrote: "Nothing like an improvised workout. Bruno gets to play tug-o-war ( it's great for building confidence and jaw strength in puppies ) and I get to do biceps curls. Of course I could not do more than 7 cuz he's too heavy but its a start. This pandemic may have kept us Indoors but it will NOT break our spirit. #lageraho #pzfit #stayhome #staysafe #day24 #quarantine #ting"
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Meanwhile, the actress is also devoting her time for household chores like cooking. In a video she shared on Saturday afternoon, a bespectacled Preity takes to chopping onions.
"The best gift I ever received are these glasses, to be worn while cutting onions. Helps me with my cooking these days and keeps the tears away. kyuki Pushpa I hate tears.... #cookingtricks #stayhome staysafe #day24 #quarantine #ting," she wrote.
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Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Shilpa Shetty Kundra has entered into a barter deal with her son. The deal is her son Viaan will give her a body massage in return of which she will bake him a a two-layer cake.
In a video shared by the actress on Instagram, Shilpa explains the meaning of a barter to her seven-year-old, who is giving her a body massage. In exchange for the massage, the boy immediately asks for a cake baked by his mom. He also instructs her to make it double layered.
"Had no idea my mom was shooting this... but she managed to capture such a priceless moment. Watching this video made me realise it's such a blessing to have kids and also have these important conversations with your child. Ha ha ha one who can be your friend too!" Shilpa captioned the video.
"Today, I'm grateful for a child who is respectful to all, is sensible & understanding even at such a tender age. I enjoy all the banter with him and knowing his conversations can easily lift all our spirits is a lovely feeling," she added.
"Also, saying a special prayer for all parents and children caught in these trying times. May we all come out of this stronger than before #20DaysOfGratefulness #Day10 #stayhome #staysafe #stayindoors #gratitude #IndiaFightsCorona," Shilpa further said.
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Kailash Kher
Singer Kailash Kher was set to play live from his home on April 5 for fans but he has moved the date. He now plans to bring together various music artistes for a series of virtual concerts.
The singer had shared a video on Instagram and captioned it, "Thank you all our countrymen and the real heroes for standing together in this fight against corona. And lauding the voice of the head of the Nation. I am coming live in virtual concert #prakashaalokan #प्रकाशआलोकन a musical salutation. 5th April at 9:10pm"
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hKsCKHmIC/
However, the virtual concert was pushed.
"The virtual concert planned for April 5 has been pushed. Though there will be a big announcement by me and some of the eminent singers of the nation," he said.
But, now there is a good news for his fans.
"Since my virtual concert was announced yesterday (April 3), there has been an overwhelming outpouring of support from the industry, the media and the people. Several artistes and musicians have expressed their willingness to join the movement 'Prakash Alokan' and spread the light through our music and art forms," said the "Teri deewani" hitmaker.
"We are now planning a series of virtual concerts that will see the nation's artistes coming together," he added.
(With Agency Inputs)
According to sources, all central ministers have also been asked to resume work in ministries from Monday and put together plans for post-lockdown period to kick-start the economy.
India has witnessed a sudden spike in the coronavirus infections with 1,035 fresh COVID-19 cases and 40 deaths due to the disease being reported in the last 24 hours across the country, which is under a 21-day nationwide lockdown since March 25.
The current spell of the lockdown, billed as the world's largest shutdown to check the spread of the infection, ends on Tuesday even as the Union health ministry asserted that the tally of confirmed cases could have reached 8.2 lakh by April 15 in the absence of the lockdown and other containment measures.
In the interaction held via video conferencing, most of the chief ministers suggested that the nationwide lockdown should be extended by two more weeks, an official statement said.
Read More: COVID-19 Outbreak: Odisha First State To Extend Lockdown Till April 30
Emphasising the criticality of coming 3-4 weeks for determining the impact of the steps taken till now to contain the virus, Modi told the chief ministers that "teamwork is the key to facing the challenge".
It said Modi also underlined that the motto of the government earlier was 'jaan hai to jahaan hai' (the world exists if life exists) but now it is 'jaan bhi jahaan bhi' (lives as well as livelihoods). According to sources, the government is focusing on hotspots of COVID-19 to contain the spread of the pandemic and on efforts to kick-start the economy once the lockdown is lifted.
Though the government did not directly announce its decision on the lockdown extension, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the meeting tweeted "PM has taken correct decision to extend lockdown. Today, India's position is better than many developed countries because we started lockdown early. If it is stopped now, all gains would be lost. To consolidate, it is imp to extend it."
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa also said the prime minister mentioned about extending the lockdown till April 30.
There were also indications that the extension in lockdown may come with certain relaxations to boost economic activities with sources saying that there were various proposals being considered, including lesser restrictions in areas unaffected by the virus spread.
The government officials said guidelines for the second phase of lockdown would be announced in next few days, even as Yediyurappa, after the interaction, said the extended lockdown period of two weeks would be different from the current 21-day spell.
The official statement also referred to the prime minister's comments on the challenges on the economic front.
Asserting that the crisis is an opportunity to make India self-reliant and turn the nation into an economic powerhouse, Modi talked about strengthening healthcare infrastructure and reaching out to patients through tele-medicine.
"Talking about the Exit Plan from lockdown, the prime minister said that there seems to be a consensus amongst the states on extension of lockdown by another two weeks," it said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country with over 1,600 and at least 110 deaths, announced the extension in the lockdown in the state till April 30, adding restrictions can be relaxed in certain areas. Punjab and Odisha have already announced extending the lockdown beyond April 14 .
The meeting was called by Modi to discuss the situation arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to take feedback of chief ministers on whether the 21-day shutdown should be extended.
During the interaction, Modi observed that the combined efforts of the Centre and the states have definitely helped reduce the impact of COVID-19 but since the situation is rapidly evolving, constant vigilance is paramount.
Modi also categorically assured that India has adequate supplies of essential medicines, and said that measures are being taken to ensure availability of protective gear and critical equipment for all front-line workers.
He also gave a stern message against black marketing and hoarding.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said the chief ministers of several states sought a financial package from the Centre as they were facing a fund crunch in the absence of any economic activity due to the ongoing lockdown.
Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh said he reiterated the need for health cover for all the employees as well as assistance to daily wagers while Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel urged Modi to permit states to carry out economic activities within their borders.
Modi was accompanied by some senior officials, including from the Union health ministry, during the meeting, which was also attended by chief ministers -- Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Manohar Lal (Haryana), K Chandrashekhar Rao (Telangana) and Nitish kumar (Bihar).
Also Read: COVID-19 Crisis: I Am Available 24/7, PM Modi Tells CMs During Video Conference
The Union Home Ministry has sought views of state governments on various aspects, including whether more categories of people and services need to be exempted. In the current lockdown only essential services are exempted.
This is for the second time the prime minister interacted with the chief ministers via video link after the lockdown was imposed. The last such interaction was on April 2.
Before the lockdown was announced on March 24, the prime minister had interacted with the chief ministers on March 20 to discuss ways and means to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.
(PTI)
As per reports, fearing extension of the COVID-19 lockdown, the migrant labourers hit the street in Diamond Nagar and staged demonstration on Friday night. Alleging that they were deprived of food and basic facilities, the protesters demanded the local administration to make arrangements for their return to their native places.
Also Read: Odisha Fights COVID19: 5 Bhubaneswar Schools Functioning As Testing Centres
Some of the irate demonstrators allegedly torched more than 10 vegetable-laden trucks and pelted stones at police when they rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Following the incident, adequate number of police personnel were deployed in the area and the situation was brought under control. During its investigation, Surat Police on Saturday arrested 81 Odia migrant workers on charges of their involvement in the case.
“The incident took place as there was some issue related to food. The demonstrations were held after some mess were shut down,” alleged an Odia migrant labourer.
Surat Police Commissioner RB Brahmbhatt, on the other hand, refuted the allegations. “The Odia migrant workers who work mostly in the textile sector are given proper food. Besides, there is no issue regarding house rent during the on-going lockdown. Therefore, I appeal them to be calm and assured them that Gujarat government is with them,” Brahmbhatt said.
Also Read: COVID19 Lockdown: ECoR Continues Delivery Of Essential Goods In Odisha
On March 30, over 90 migrant labourers were arrested in Surat city for defying the nationwide lockdown guidelines and attacking police over a similar issue.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Shilpa Shetty Kundra has offered yoga tips to beat lockdown inactivity that can make our muscles stiff.
In a video she has shared on Instagram, Shilpa performs Surya Namaskar. "Being indoors for days on end can lead to the body stiffening up. One of the best ways to give your body the much-needed flexibility and toning, is through a few rounds of Surya Namaskaras," she wrote.
Elaborating on the asana, the actress added: "It's a complete workout. To make it even more beneficial, I added a few variations. You can try it out too (if your body has no injuries and permits). It helps increase shoulder-&-core strength while improving back flexibility, stamina, and endurance. This one's also a high calorie-burning variation, so performing about 8 to 16 repetitions every alternate day will also help reduce fat and increase metabolism too."
She had this message for her fans: "Today, I'm grateful for the ability to share whatever knowledge I have with millions of people around the globe. Please do take care of your health and your families too. Stay indoors, stay safe."
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Alia Bhatt
Actress Alia Bhatt has turned to baking to while away her lockdown hours, and her moment in the kitchen in casual pajamas has gone viral.
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Alia's sister Shaheen took to her Instagram to share a photograph of the actress in her pajamas.
In the monochrome image, the actress, who looked pretty in a casual t-shirt and pajamas, is flashing a big smile for the camera as she is standing in her kitchen. In the caption, Shaheen said that Alia was making a pudding.
"Little pudding making pudding," she wrote.
During the lockdown period, the sisters are experimenting in the kitchen. Recently, Alia shared a set of drool-worthy images of the chocolate cake and banana bread on her Instagram, writing: "Stayed home and .. baked a little with the sister. Shaheen Bhatt made the real chocolate cake and I made the grain-free paleo banana bread."
Meanwhile, on the film front, Alia will be seen in Ayan Mukerji's "Brahmastra", which also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, and "Sadak 2".
Riteish Deshmukh & Genelia D'Souza Deshmukh
Locked up with each other during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Riteish Deshmukh and wife Genelia has found an exciting way to kill time! The couple has taken to TikTok for time pass and has shared an adorable video which is winning hearts on social media!
Also Read: Lockdown Diaries: Watch Salman Khan Eating Leaves With His Horse
In the video, Riteish and Genelia can be seen performing with the evergreen love song "Mera Dil Bhi Kitna Paagal Hai" from the 1991 romantic superhit film "Saajan" which originally featured Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt.
However, instead of using the original melodious track sung by Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik, the celeb-couple performed with a remixed version of the number sung by Atif Aslam.
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Riteish-Genelia's on-screen romance reflects their bonding in real life as well. Fans are loving the video on Instagram and flooded the post with comments like "Lovely couple", "Best couple" and "Favourite Jodi".
Bhumi Pednekar
Actress Bhumi Pednekar has become the latest Bollywood celebrity who has taken to baking cakes to while away the COVID-19 lockdown hours.
Bhumi on Sunday took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself baking a walnut and dates cake. The image shows the cake baking in the oven.
The actress captioned the image: "Bhumi the Baker #WalnutAndDatesCake #happyeaster #stayhomestaysafe.
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She later took to her Instagram stories, where she shared that she was asking "moong dal halwa" for her mother Sumitra Pednekar.
Bhumi posted that it took her a while to make and that a lot of efforts went into making the halwa.
She then thanked her mother being her "eternal teacher".
She wrote: "Sumitra Pednekar thank you my eternal teacher of all things amazing. Also, you're the real captain of this team I am still kachcha nimbu."
On the professional front, Bhumi will next be seen in "Durgavati" and "Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitaare".
(IANS)
Also Read: Lockdown Diaries: Here’s What Kareena, Alia, Kartik & Other Stars Are Doing In Home-Isolation
Top Railways officials told PTI that an amount of Rs 830 crore will be refunded for 55 lakh bookings made for travel between March 22 and April 14. The Railways had largely suspended its passenger train services on March 22, three days before the 21-day lockdown came into force.
Another amount of Rs 660 crore will be returned for around 39 lakh bookings made for travel between April 15 and May 3, they said.
India went under a total shutdown of 21 days from March 25 to April 14. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extending the lockdown till May 3.
The Railways had not stopped bookings for journeys beginning April 15.
It said that all passengers will get a full refund for tickets booked for the period during which passenger train services have been suspended.
Also Read: COVID-19: Railways To Make 30K PPE In April, 1 Lakh In May To Meet Demand
The national transporter added that the money would be automatically refunded to online customers, while those who booked tickets at the designated reservation counters could claim the refund till July 31.
Following the prime minister's announcement, the Indian Railways extended the suspension of all its passenger services till the end of the lockdown.
According to official data, a staggering 20 million people travel daily on nearly 15,000 passenger trains across the country.
The Railways said no advance reservation of train tickets, including e-tickets, will be allowed till further orders, though the facility of online cancellation will remain functional.
However, people on social media said that the Railways has deducted the convenience fee per online booking while making the refunds.
"When train is cancelled, the passenger is refunded full fare. Convenience fees is not refunded which are nominal to an individual and used for day-to-day maintenance and upgradation of the ticketing facility," the railways explained in a statement.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) charges nominal convenience fee of Rs 15 per ticket for booking non AC travel and Rs 30 for air conditioned and first class tickets.
"A full refund will also be there for those cancelling advance bookings for trains not cancelled yet," the national transporter said.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, on an average, around 8.5 lakh tickets were booked on the IRCTC website daily.
Also Read: India Lockdown: Railway, Airline Passenger Services Suspended Till May 3
After the prime minister's announcement of a 21-day lockdown across the country, the railways had announced suspension of all passenger services till April 14.
(PTI)
At the daily press briefing, Joint Secretary, Health, Lav Agarwal said the reduction in the doubling rate is the product of the management of the health crisis at the field level. He said that 5 lakh rapid antibody test kits are being distributed to states, which are burdened with a high number of positive cases.
"An average Growth Factor of 1.2 since 1st April 2020, as compared to 2.1 in the two weeks proceeding that (15th March to 31st March) is observed, which is about a 40 per cent decline (2.1-1.2)/2.1 in growth factor," he said.
He insisted that before the lockdown, India's doubling rate was about 3 days. "For the past seven days, the doubling rate is 6.2 days. 19 States/UTs (Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Ladakh, Himachal, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, J&K, Punjab, Assam, Tripura) are presently showing a higher doubling rate, which is better than the national average, which reflects that rate of increase of cases in these places has been reduced to some extent," said Agarwal.
Read: COVID-19 Outbreak: Health Ministry Identifies 170 Districts In India As Hotspots
He added that the production of ancillary support devices such as personal protective equipment, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and CSIR engineering labs is being augmented by indigenous designs of Sree Chitra Tiurumalai Institute of Medical Science and Technology (SCTIMST) under DST
Agarwal also said that the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 had a detailed discussion on the impact of extended lockdown and to create a further roadmap. "GoM also reviewed the efforts by Science & Technology institutions to deal with COVID-19 in diagnosis, vaccines, drugs, hospital equipment accessories and general wellness," he added.
The total number of COVID-19 cases was 13,789 and 1,853 had recovered while the death toll stood at 457.
The COVID-19 cases jumped by 1,463; 1,118, and 1,043 on the three days respectively from Tuesday this week, according to official data from the Health ministry and the states.
Dealing on the recovery of the patients, Agarwal said that 13.06 per cent is the recovery rate of patients from coronavirus infection and the outcome ratio, which is cases recovered from the viral infection, is better than other countries and the government is trying to improve it further.
Emphasising on the health infrastructure to fight the infection, he said: "1,919 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with 1.73 lakh isolation beds, 21,800 ICU beds are ready in the country." An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official said 3,19,400 COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far and 28,340 tests in the past 24 hours.
(IANS)
Also Read: COVID-19 Tests: ICMR Notifies 176 Govt And 78 Private Labs
While they are not getting raw material to create products forcing them to sit idle, the handloom sector has experienced sudden stalling of orders as retailers have closed their shops due to the lockdown.
Until recently, you would hear the hum of the looms in several districts of Odisha known for their finest weaves. But, the looms have fallen silent following the COVID-19 lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
"The weavers could not receive raw material due to the lockdown. Besides, our products are not reaching to the markets. We are living in a bad condition," said master weaver Surendra Meher of Barpali in the Bargarh district.
Read: Odisha CM Announces Rs 100-Crore Package For Urban Poor Families
He said the state government should allow shops selling traditional weaving products like Saree, Gamcha, dhoti clothing, etc. to start operation only from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily with strict enforcement of social distancing norms.
Bijay Meher, General Secretary of All Odisha Weavers Association, said the shops selling cotton threads and other weaving related materials need to be allowed for the sustenance of the community, who completely depend on weaving.
"The government should consider opening the wholesale weaving product markets Balijuri Bazar of Bargarh. Thousands of weavers depend to sell products and manage their families on the market, which transacts in crores daily," he said.
Meher said Balijuri Bazar is one of the largest handloom markets in the country.
Odisha has carved a niche in the global market for its handloom products.
Kotpad handloom fabric, Orissa Ikat, Khandua Saree, Gopalpur Tussar fabrics, Dhalapathar Parda and fabrics, Sambalpuri Bandha Saree, Bomkai Saree, Habaspuri Saree, Berhampur Patta (Phoda Kumbha) Saree and Joda have received the Geographical Indications (GI) tag.
Weavers in Bolangir, Sonepur and Khurdha districts, who are known for producing beautiful sarees and dress materials, are waiting for assistance from the government to feed their families.
"We have no lands to grow crops to earn our livelihood during this crucial time. For generations, we have been weaving sarees, towels and other dress materials. But the coronavirus and lockdown forced us to sit idle affecting our livelihood. Now, only government assistance can help us," said a weaver from Sonepur.
(With IANS Inputs)
Later, in a clarification released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), it said that shops have been allowed to open in multi-brand or single brand malls.
In rural areas, all shops, except those in shopping malls are allowed to open. In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open.
E-commerce companies will continue to be permitted for essential goods only.
However, shops in markets/market complexes & shopping malls are not allowed to open. Besides, the sale of liquor and other items are also prohibited, the release read.
Moreover, no shops will be permitted to open in hotspots/containment zones, the clarification issued said.
The Home Ministry clarified that only standalone shops are being allowed to open as per the directive and that the order does not apply to COVID-19 containment zones or liquor stores. Then in a further clarification, the government said that salons, barber shops, and restaurants will continue to be closed as the relaxation was given to "shops selling items".
The Ministry has cleared the air after initial confusion due to Friday night's MHA order. The clarification says, "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops & shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes & shopping malls are not allowed to open."
Here are all shops that can open:
1. All shops in residential areas and markets in the neighbourhood will open those sell items.
2. All shops that are registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State or the Union Territory, including those shops in residential complexes and market complexes, outside the municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open.
3. In urban areas, non-essential goods and services will be allowed to operate provided they are in residential areas or are a standalone shop. This essentially means a sweet shop too can function.
4. However, those shops in registered markets but outside municipal corporations and municipalities can open only with 50 per cent staff.
5. Shops that fall under rural and semi-rural areas and markets that are registered can open. In cities, only standalone shops and residential shops can open.
Meanwhile, the ministry also clarified that sales by e-commerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only.
Shops that can't be open
1. No shops have been allowed to open in multi-brand or single brand malls, it had said. So, one can forget about their plans for a mall visit.
2. No movie theaters are being allowed to open.
3. Liquor shops too will remain closed and the MHA has made it a point to stress on that.
3. Gyms and swimming pools too will be off-limit as they are areas where social distancing goes for a toss.
4. Markets with a cluster of shops like that of south Delhi's Khan Market too will remain shut.
5. Since they don't sell items but offer services, salons too will remain closed.
However, much of the final decision rests with respective state governments and UT administrations. But where they do allow these new reprieves, however conditionally, it will surely be a welcome change for a locked-down populace.
Meanwhile, the largest traders' body Confederation of All India Traders lauded the decision but issued a caution to the traders to follow orders by their state government in the matter and also sanitize shops and market places before resuming business.
CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, "The central government has taken this decision only after fully assessing the present circumstances related to Corona and keeping in mind the difficulties of the public and economic scenario of the country."
"We appeal the traders across the country to not open their shops in their extreme enthusiasm and await the order of respective state government and as per the same, the shops can be opened. Since trade and shops and establishment is the state subject, only the States Governments are empowered to take the decision," Khandelwal added.
The traders' body with over 7 crore traders across the nation also wrote to the Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri mentioning that in the context of the opening of shops or markets, it is necessary that shops and markets are properly sanitized.
It demanded that the government should make a clear plan immediately and advise all the state governments to take necessary steps for sanitizing the markets and the shops.
(With Agency Inputs)
Odisha's Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo has appealed the students to take the lockdown period and the time of crisis as an opportunity to prepare well for exams which may be conducted on any feasible day after the institutions reopen on June 17.
On the UGC advisory, minister Sahoo proposed to form an expert panel to discuss the issues related to the exams and the academic calendar and the appropriate measures for ensuring the future of the students.
"UGC had formed an expert panel including seven members. The experts handed over a report to UGC which was further sent to the Ministry of Education. Further UGC has released a guideline analyzing the report. Our department will further analyze the guideline and we will finalize appropriate decisions for the State," he added.
UGC, the governing body of all the Universities of higher education across India on Wednesday suggested grading intermediate semester students on internal assessment of the present and previous semesters and recommended to conduct exams in July in states where the COVID-19 situation has normalized.
As per the statement released by UGC, Universities may adopt efficient and innovative modes of examinations by reducing the time from 3 hours to 2 hours. Universities may conduct terminal or intermediate semester or yearly examinations in offline or online mode, as per their regulations, the scheme of examinations, observing the guidelines of “social distancing” and keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring a fair opportunity to all students.
Furthermore, the terminal semester or year examination for postgraduate, undergraduate courses, programmes may be conducted by Universities as suggested in the academic calendar. The timing of the examination may be considered appropriately by the Universities, and examination may be conducted keeping in mind the guidelines of social distancing.
These special trains will run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments as per the standard protocols for sending and receiving such stranded persons. The Railways and State Governments shall appoint senior officials as Nodal Officers for coordination and smooth operation of these “Shramik Specials”.
The passengers have to be screened by the sending states and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to travel. Sending State Governments will have to bring these persons in batches that can be accommodated in the train to the designated Railway Station in sanitized buses following social distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear face cover. Meals and drinking water would be provided to the passengers by the sending states at the originating station.
The Railways will endeavour to ensure social distancing norms and hygiene with the cooperation of passengers. On longer routes, the Railways will provide a meal enroute during the journey.
On arrival at the destination, passengers will be received by the State Government, who would make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine if necessary and further travel from the Railway Station.
At this point of time of crisis faced by the nation, all officers and staff of the Indian Railways are committed to serving our fellow Indians and seeks everyone’s support and cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Railways this morning ran its first special train to ferry 1,200 stranded migrants from Lingampally in Telangana to Hatia in Jharkhand. A special train carrying over 1,000 Odia migrants also left for Odisha from Aluva railway station in Kerala in the evening reportedly at around 4 pm. The migrants were stranded in Kochi region of Kerala after enforcement of the nation-wide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
The daily GDP of India is estimated to be approximately $8 billion.
The impact has been severe on the travel and mobility sector with unicorns such as OYO, Ola, MakeMyTrip seeing massive revenue decline, said the report from DataLabs by Inc42.
The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, often called the backbone of the Indian economy, has had to shut small-scale factories, and is working with minimal workforce.
The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the MSME revenue, even more, said the "COVID-19 Startup Impact Report -- Threats & Opportunities For The Indian Economy".
For some sectors, this pandemic has sounded the death knell, but the supply chain disruption has impacted manufacturing everywhere.
However, even amid these disruptions, some sectors have risen to the top owing to the behavioural changes in consumers.
The sudden surge in demand for services like hyperlocal deliveries, media and content, video conferencing and other enterprise tech applications will further enhance revenue prospects of some Indian startups in the coming fiscal years, said the report.
The nationwide lockdown has had deep ramifications on economic activity and according to a CEO Snap Poll by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 44.7 per cent of the corporate chiefs believe that it would take more than a year for the Indian economy to recover.
According to the snap poll on the 'Impact of COVID-19 on Economy and Industry', as a majority of the firms continue to anticipate a significant decline in their revenues, they now foresee a delay in economic revival and demand recovery.
"The survey results reveal that the country may experience a protracted slowdown in economic activity as a major proportion of the respondents, around 45 per cent feel it will take more than a year to achieve economic normalcy once the lockdown ends," a CII statement said.
Around 36.5 per cent of the corporate bosses feel that the economic recovery of the country may be achieved in 6-12 months. Around 17 per cent of the respondents were of the view that recovery would be achieved in 3-6 months, followed by 1.8 per cent who felt that it would require a three-month period.
With respect to their own companies, the respondents anticipate a slightly quicker recovery, with 34 per cent of the respondents indicating a 6-12 month period for recovery of their companies, the survey showed.
Further, a major proportion of the respondents anticipate normalcy in domestic demand conditions within 6-12 months, post lockdown.
The survey saw the participation of more than 300 CEOs, of which nearly two-thirds belonged to MSMEs.
"The lockdown brought economic activity to a grinding halt and the survey findings indicate that a significant majority of the firms (65 per cent) expect revenues to fall more than 40 per cent in the current quarter (Apr-Jun 2020)," it said.
For the financial year 2020-21, the expectations of a fall in revenue are staggered, with 33 per cent of the firms anticipating a revenue fall of more than 40 per cent, closely followed by 32 per cent of firms expecting a revenue contraction ranging between 20-40 per cent.
The survey revealed that while three out of four firms have identified that a complete shutdown of operations was a major constraint being faced by businesses, more than half of them have also indicated lack of demand for products as a hindrance to business activity.
On the jobs and livelihood front, more than half of the firms, around 54 per cent foresee job losses in their respective sectors after the lockdown ends. A major share of respondents, 45 per cent of them expect 15-30 per cent cut in jobs.
However, allaying some concerns, nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported that they have not experienced a salary or wage cut in their firms so far. Among those who have witnessed a wage cut, the duration of the same is 'undecided' for a majority, showed the poll.
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII said: "While the lockdown was necessary to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the population, it has had dire implications for economic activity. At this hour, the industry awaits a stimulus package for economic revival and livelihood sustenance besides calibrated exit from the lockdown."
(IANS)
A provision in the SOP, which drew a good deal of flak, said the "local state government shall handover the tickets for these passengers cleared by them and collect the ticket fare and hand over the total amount to Railways."
"If you are stuck abroad during this COVID crisis this government will fly you back for free but if you are a migrant worker stranded in another state be prepared to cough up the cost of travel (with social distancing cost added). Where did 'PM Cares' go? Like I said earlier you were better off getting stranded overseas & flown back home!," tweeted NC leader Omar Abdullah.
In the SOP, the railways said the responsibility for food, security, health scanning, providing tickets to the stranded will be with the state from which the train is originating. It has however taken the burden of providing one meal to passengers whose journey will be of 12 hours or more.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury hit out at the Union government for burdening the states and said the situation with migrant workers was a result of the Centre's abrupt announcement of a lockdown.
"It is very unfair that the entire responsibility has been shifted to the state governments. This problem was not caused by the states. In the Parliament, the government said it bore the entire cost of repatriating Indians stuck abroad. In the same manner, the migrants should have been sent back.
"Anyway, thousands of crores have been directed to PM-CARES," Yechury told PTI.
The railways on Friday rolled out the special trains to ferry migrant workers, students and others stranded in various parts of the country since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25.
Normally, the national transporter said in the guidelines, the Shramik Special trains will be run for distances more than 500 km and will not stop at any station before the destination. Each train with full-length composition with social distancing (not counting the middle berths) can carry about 1,200 passengers.
"The originating state shall plan the group of travellers accordingly. The occupancy of the train should not be less than 90 per cent. Railways shall print train tickets to the specified destination, as per number of passengers indicated by originating state and hand them over to the local state government authority.
"The local state government authority shall handover tickets to passengers cleared by them and collect the ticket fare and hand over the total amount to railways," the guidelines added.
The state government shall issue food packets and drinking water at the originating points, it said.
It will be mandatory for all passengers to wear face covers.
"The originating state will encourage all passengers to download and use Aarogya Setu App," it said.
On arrival at the destination, the passengers will be received by state government authorities, who would make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine, if necessary, and further travel.
The receiving state will make adequate security arrangements at the railway station.
"Railways reserves the right to discontinue Shramik Special train operations if safety, security and hygiene protocols are flouted at any stage," the guidelines issued to all zonal general managers said.
While the railways is yet to issue any clarification on the charges, officials said as the transporter, railways was charging the states for services rendered.
Railway officials said there have been no issues so far with states on payments while some states like Jharkhand have already paid in advance, others like Gujarat has arranged for an NGO to sponsor part of the services.
Criticising the decision to charge for the travels, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav said exploiting the poor in times of a disaster is the "job of money lenders, not the government".
"The news of the BJP government taking money from the poor, helpless labourers going back home by train is very shameful. It has become clear today that the BJP, which pardons billions to capitalists, is with the rich and against the poor. Exploiting during a disaster is the job of money lenders, not the government," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar said his party was ready to provide aid to the state government for payment of train fare for migrants.
"Giving Rs 1 crore cheque to KSRTC from the KPCC for ensuring Free Transport to our working-class & labour people who are suffering to reach home because of the rates being charged by the Karnataka Govt. Govt should let us know if they need more, the KPCC will fulfill that as well," he tweeted.
(PTI)
Uber will provide rides in green zones like Daman, Kochi, Guwahati and more places while it will provide rides in orange zones like Amritsar, Udaipur, Mohali and Gurugram, among others.
"If you must travel, Uber is ready to serve residents in these zones from Monday, May 4. Riders will constantly be notified with further information and the status of specific cities through our app," the company said in a statement.
The company recommends no more than two passengers per vehicle, and no one should sit next to the driver.
In red zones, Uber will continue to offer Uber Essential and Uber Medic services in these zones, which it has been providing during the ongoing lockdown.
Similarly, Ola is also resuming services in over 100 cities across India, located in green and orange zones. The operations will be launched in a phased manner across these cities.
All rides will be driven only across the identified safe zones and to ensure every driver-partner adheres to the safety rules, a mandatory selfie authentication mechanism has been put into place before and after every ride.
Furthermore, all cars will be cleaned and sanitized after each ride and flexible cancellation policy has also been introduced under which both the customer and driver-partner can cancel the ride if they feel the other party is not following the rules or not wearing a mask.
"Our fight against COVID-19 is a collective effort, and will be possible only with both our driver-partners and customers doing their bit to ensure that everyone has access to safe and high-quality mobility," said Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola.
(IANS)
The victim employee has been identified has Pramod Bhanja. He has been admitted to Tihidi Community Health Centre and stated to be stable now.
As per reports, Bhanja was going to deposit the money in UCO Bank's Tihidi branch when three persons on a bike attacked him with a wooden stick and sharp weapon. Later, they snatched away the money bag from Bhanja and fled the spot. It is stated that the motorcycle used in the crime had no registration number plate.
Some locals present at the spot rescued Bhanja and rushed him to Tihidi CHC.
"I was going to deposit Rs 10.80 lakh in the bank when three persons with their faces covered attacked me from behind and fled with the money bag," informed Bhanja.
Subsequently, a police complaint was lodged at Tihidi Police Station following which an investigation has been launched in connection with the incident.
Even as Bhadrak district has been declared COVID-19 red zone in a fresh notification issued by the State government yesterday, three persons moving on a bike has raised doubts on the implementation of lockdown norms in the district.
https://youtu.be/AUKxUnowSzw
In the order, issued by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to the Chief Secretaries of all states and UTs, it is mentioned that states and UTs cannot dilute restrictions imposed in the MHA guidelines and can only make them stricter based on the local level assessment and the Health Ministry guidelines.
The order was issued on Sunday, soon after the MHA issued the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 to lower the spread of the deadly pandemic which so far has claimed 3,029 deaths and infected over 96,000 people across the country.
The MHA on Sunday issued revised guidelines regarding the lockdown restrictions, to contain the COVID-19 virus with "widespread relaxations given in the restrictions".
Under the new guidelines effective from Monday, states and UTs would now "delineate the red, orange and green zones, taking into consideration the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday".
Inside the red and orange zones, containment and buffer zones would be identified by the local authorities, based on local level technical inputs and Health Ministry guidelines, the MHA guidelines mentioned.
https://twitter.com/otvnews/status/1262051251065241606
Within the containment zones, the guidelines said, the strict perimeter would be maintained as earlier and only essential activities would be allowed.
Limited activities would continue to be prohibited throughout the country but "all other activities would be permitted except the ones that are specifically prohibited under the MHA guidelines".
In view of these points, the MHA has reiterated to the states and UTs that despite widespread relaxations given in the lockdown restrictions under revised guidelines, they "cannot dilute the restrictions imposed in the MHA guidelines".
They may prohibit "certain other activities or impose restrictions, as deemed necessary on the basis of a ground-level analysis of the situation", the order said.
Further, it has been communicated that states and UTs must take into consideration the benchmarks and thresholds indicated in the revised guidelines issued by the MoHFW, while delineating zones at the local level.
"It has also been urged to give wide publicity to the Centre and respective state guidelines at the local level for the convenience of the public," the order issued by the Home Secretary reads.
The lockdown since March 25, which entered its 55th day on Monday, has battered the economy and dealt a severe blow to daily wagers and the poor, posing a serious challenge for the Narendra Modi-led Central government.
The new nationwide lockdown guidelines got extended for the third time on Sunday, which was first imposed from March 25 and then extended from April 15 and May 4.
(IANS)
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed the views of states on the issue to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, in Delhi earlier in the day.
The sources pointed out that many states, majority of them ruled by the BJP, are in favour of the lockdown extension for the fifth time due to increase in novel coronavirus cases in the wake of return of migrant workers from different states and Indians stuck abroad.
On Thursday, Amit Shah held telephonic talks with Chief Ministers of different states as to how successful the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown had been and what all were the expectations and demands of the states.
He held separate discussions with Chief Minister of his Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments in the states.
The sources said most Chief Ministers favoured lockdown extension for two more weeks, with focus on containment zones and normalisation of activities in other zones. The Goa Chief Minister wanted a 15-day extension.
The sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was busy devising the strategy to be adopted in the fifth phase of the lockdown in the background of the feedback received from different Chief Ministers.
(IANS)
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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also announced giving permission to all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card holders and all other foreign nationals to visit India for any purpose, except on a tourist visa.
The move will enable foreign nationals to come to India for various purposes such as business, conferences, employment, studies and research.
The ministry said in a statement that in view of the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had taken a series of steps to curtail the inward and outward movement of international passengers since February, 2020.
The government has now decided to make a graded relaxation in visa and travel restrictions for more categories of foreign nationals and Indian nationals who wish to enter or leave India.
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Under this graded relaxation, the government has decided to restore with immediate effect all existing visas, except electronic visa, tourist visa and medical visa, the statement said.
If the validity of such visas has expired, fresh visas of appropriate categories can be obtained from Indian mission or post concerned.
Foreign nationals intending to visit India for medical treatment can apply afresh for a medical visa, including for their medical attendants.
The government has also decided to permit all OCI and PIO card holders and all other foreign nationals intending to visit India for any purpose, except on a tourist visa, to enter by air or water routes through authorised airports and seaport immigration check posts.
This includes flights operated under 'Vande Bharat' mission, air transport bubble arrangements or by any non-scheduled commercial flights as allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
All such travellers will, however, have to strictly adhere to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding quarantine and other health/COVID-19 matters.
While the restrictions on visas were imposed following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in February, commercial flight operations were suspended when the nationwide lockdown came into effect on March 25.
However, the government has been allowing limited operations of Air India flights under the 'Vande Bharat' mission for certain categories OCI and PIO card holders and those Indians who were stuck due to COVID-19 outbreak since June.
The number of coronavirus infections reported in a span of 24 hours remained below 60,000 for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday as India's caseload went past 77 lakh, while recoveries have crossed 68 lakh, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry.
The active cases of coronavirus infection remained below eight lakh for the sixth consecutive day.
(PTI)