President, PM, MPs to take a pay cut to fund govt’s efforts to fight COVID-19
The Union cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance to reduce the salaries, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament (MPs) by 30 per cent for one year and the amount will be utilised in the fight against coronavirus. The President, Vice President, governors of states have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as […]
COVID-19: Man posts ‘no ventilators in Ludhiana’ on Facebook, booked for sedition
The Ludhiana police Sunday booked a man under the charges of sedition after he allegedly posted on social media that there were ‘no ventilators in Ludhiana district to treat patients’ amid the coronavirus outbreak. An FIR was registered against Simranjit Singh of Dharampura area. Investigating officer in the case, ASI Surjit Singh, said the man had posted […]
Explained: Is burial or cremation safe? How to handle bodies of COVID-19 patients
Last week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation of Mumbai issued a circular that bodies of all COVID-19 patients would be cremated at the nearest crematorium, without any rituals. The circular was later amended, allowing burials only if grounds were large enough. Why was the order introduced? The Municipal Commissioner in Mumbai is an empowered officer under the Epidemic Act, 1897, […]
4 reasons why I see light at the end of India’s coronavirus tunnel
When I first heard Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on Friday, carefully, I must confess to feeling a little disappointed. There was no condemnation of the fact that our brave “Covid-19 warriors” — doctors and other health care workers — were being assaulted; and there was no comforting statement about the efforts to […]
Survey shows 42% have no ration left for the day, let alone duration of lockdown
A survey of 3,196 migrant construction workers whose livelihood has been disrupted after the announcement of the 21-day lockdown over COVID-19 paints a dismal picture of migrant lives, especially seasonal migrants, now caught unawares as the Indian economy virtually shut down. The survey confirms the effect of the lockdown wherein 92.5 per cent of labourers have already […]
Long war against coronavirus, have to emerge victorious: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown is nothing less than a war and appealed to BJP workers to do their bit to “save humanity” from the ongoing crisis. Greeting workers via video-conference on the occasion of the party’s 40th foundation foundation day, the Prime Minister said, “I state it with full responsibility that […]
Urjit Patel writes on managing Covid-19: A task well-begun and what needs to be done
The policy roll-out over the past couple of weeks has, for the most part, been sensible. There has been some commentary that the fiscal-financial programme isn’t bold enough. Perhaps so under certain assumptions, but we have to be mindful that this is not only a constrained exercise in policy making at the current juncture, we […]
With 490 new coronavirus patients, India now has 4067 cases; death toll at 109
The number of coronavirus disease cases in India rose to 4067, with an increase of 490 in the last 12 hours, and the deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded at 109 on Monday morning, the Union health ministry said. There are 3666 active cases of Covid-19 and 291 people have been cured or discharged till […]
Muslim IAS-IPS officers’ Covid-19 appeal to community: Don’t give anyone reason to blame you
New Delhi: Nearly 80 serving and retired IAS, IPS and IFS officers belonging to the Islamic faith have appealed to the Muslim community to adhere to social distancing norms, and not give anyone the opportunity to accuse it of spreading Covid-19 in India. The officers’ appeal comes in the light of the Tablighi Jamaat event at […]
India bans export of hydroxychloroquine but Trump is counting on Modi for urgent supply
New Delhi: India has imposed a blanket ban on the export of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) that has caught the world’s attention as a possible cure to the novel coronavirus Covid-19, even as US President Donald Trump has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an urgent supply of the drug. The drug has been touted as a […]
