National and World
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Reliance Industries' chief Mukesh Ambani on Monday committed a further Rs 500 crore to the Prime Minister's COVID-19 fund, topping up over the multi-crore initiative of India's first coronavirus hospital, meals to the needy, and fuel to emergency vehicles.
In addition to the financial contribution to the PM's Fund, Reliance Industries has also provided contribution of
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Without additional investment in childhood cancer care, 11 million children aged 14 years and younger are expected to die from cancer over the next 30 years worldwide, warn researchers including one from Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket.
According to the researchers, more than 9 million deaths (84 per cent) will be in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.
Chandigarh, March 31 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder on Tuesday ordered withdrawal of 1,300 policemen from the VIP duties, including from his own security, and their deployment in the battle against the coronavirus.
Foreseeing critical times ahead, the Chief Minister also ordered extension in service to all retiring police personnel and Home Guards by two months to strengthen the citizen
San Francisco, March 31 (IANS) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sales in certain categories, including groceries, cold medications, fitness equipment and computers (with more people now working from home) have surged in the US, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index unveiled on Tuesday.
With many US consumers confined to their homes starting in March, orders for fitness equipment (kettlebel
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday said the country had fewer corona cases than in other countries. "Thousands of new cases and hundreds of deaths are being reported every day in various countries. In India 1,071 confirmed cases and 29 deaths have been reported so far," said Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal told media.
"At least 92 new confirmed c
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Even as the number of coronavirus cases has been increasing in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday that local transmission is under control in the city and community transmission has not started yet.
Addressing a digital press conference, Kejriwal said that so far 97 positive Covid-19 cases have been reported in Delhi.
"One per
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) There were as many as 261 foreign nationals among 1,746 people lodged at the Tablighi Jamaat's Nizamuddin Markaz facility as on March 21, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 'Janata curfew' across India to contain COVID-19 spread.
Additionally, the Ministry said about 824 foreigners had been, as on March 21, doing Tabligh (Chilla) activities in various
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) The government has extended the validity of all lower withholding tax orders, secured by assessees, by three months till June 30 to mitigate the hardship caused by Covid-19-related disruptions.
In an order on Tuesday, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) allowed time till June 30 to the taxpayers who had filed for lower TDS/TCS (tax deduction at source/tax col
Chennai, March 29 (IANS) In order to speedily augment the supply of ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE) to combat the spread of coronavirus, the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) on Sunday threw a challenge #Innovate2BeatCOVID for medtech entrepreneurs.
Teaming up with ATE Chandra Foundation in his personal capacity, MIF founder and Marico Ltd chair Harsh Mariwala announced a
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) At least 106 new novel coronavirus cases have been reported in India in last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary, Health, Lav Agarwal said: "There are 979 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 25 deaths so far in the country. 106 new positive cases & 6 deaths have been reported In the last 24 hours
Chandigarh, March 29 (IANS) In a major relief to addicts undergoing de-addiction treatment, the Punjab government on Sunday allowed 198 Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment Clinics, 35 government de-addiction centres and 108 licensed private centres to provide them take-home doses for two weeks to tide over the lockdown period.
Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu told the media that instructio
Thiruvananthapuram, March 29 (IANS) Kerala Health Minister K.K.Shailaja on Sunday said on Sunday, 20 new cases of coronavirus positive cases were registered in the state, taking the total number of positive cases under treatment in various districts to 181.
"Of the 20, 18 came from abroad -- eight from Kannur, seven from Kasargode and one each from Thiruvanathapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur. Tw
Kuala Lumpur, March 29 (IANS) A total of 34 people have died of the COVID-19 in Malaysia as of Sunday with 150 newly confirmed cases, bringing the total to 2,470, said the Health Ministry.
Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said at a press briefing that among the infections, 388 have been cured and discharged from hospital, while 73 are currently being held in intensive care
Chennai, March 29 (IANS) Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from a Tamil Nadu hospital even as the the fifth day of the nationwide lockdown passed off peacefully in the state.
The government also began implementing the containment zone plan across the state.
According to state Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, two persons who had returned from the US and tested positive for coronavirus we
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) The COVID-19 pandemic is unique in that it is a supply shock, a demand shock, and also a market shock and as production is curtailed around the world, many firms will not have necessary inputs, a new report has warned.
"A severe demand shock is also underway. The risk of a global recession in 2020 is extremely high as nations shutdown economic activity to limit the s
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) The Azadpur Mandi is receiving adequate supply of fruits and vegetables despite 21-day nationwide lockdown, according to Mandi Chairman Adil Ahmad Khan.
Profiteers had been warned against taking advantage of the situation, Khan told IANS here on Sunday.
In the beginning, vegetable prices increased substantially as retailers stopped coming to the mandi due to the l
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the migrants to stay back in the city during the lockdown and said his government is serving lunch and dinner to over four lakh people at more than 800 locations.
Speaking to the media through a digital press conference, he said the government has operationalised 568 Hunger Relief Centres in schools, apart from 2
Bengaluru, March 28 (IANS) A sacked techie of software major Infosys was arrested for allegedly posting a prank tweet to spread coronavirus, a police officer said on Saturday.
"The accused -- Mujeeb Mohammed -- was arrested on Friday evening under Sections 505, 270 and 190 of the IPC for the social media post," Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told IANS.
The accused was produced i
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Mass exodus of migrant workers employed in the informal sector is emerging as a big issue amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued another advisory urging all states and Union Territories (UTs) to take immediate relief measures to provide temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care etc, to homeless people, including migran
Hyderabad, March 28 (IANS) With confusion and panic setting in different areas of Hyderabad over reported declaration of some areas as 'Red Zones' in the wake of the emerging COVID-19 scenario, the authorities stepped in to control the damage.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commission (GHMC) issued a statement on Saturday that GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar has not announced any 'Red Zones' i
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) After meeting media czars and radio jockeys, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met representatives of the AYUSH sector on Saturday to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak. In what is seen as a major step to debunk rumours, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of countering and factchecking unsubstantiated claims of AYUSH having a cure for the disease, adding that AYUSH scie
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) The national capital region (NCR) has been witnessing fresh air and clear sky as the 21-day lockdown continues.
For 35-year-old Mukund, a resident of Ghaziabad, the clear blue sky is a treat to the eyes. "It feels good to see clear sky. Initially, I felt I never noticed the sky due to my busy schedule, But then how can we forget the foggy layer of pollution around th
Chennai, March 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Saturday requested the Central government to grant Rs 9,000 crore to the state for coronavirus impact relief works after borrowing from Reserve Bank of India.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, text of which was released to the media, Palaniswami said the Central government should provide Rs 1 lakh crore to state go
Mumbai, March 28 (IANS) The Covid-19 incidence was lower in Maharashtra with only 10 new positive coronavirus cases reported on Saturday, raising the number to 167, officials said.
These include seven new cases in Mumbai and the rest in Nagpur who are undergoing treatment in different hospitals.
The new cases came a day after the count shot up by more than 31 in a 24-hour time-cycle, prompt
Thrissur, March 28 (IANS) Kalyan Jewellers, has announced that it would set aside Rs 10 crore towards the cause of fighting the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The company will partner with local and government bodies to ensure that the funds are allocated in a meaningful and efficient manner.
Ensuring availability of supplies and providing food and other essentials to the vulnerable sections of
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the sale of BS-IV compliant vehicles for 10 days, barring NCR-Delhi, after the lifting of the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by the Prime Minister from Tuesday midnight due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Deepak Mishra conducted hearing on the matter through videoconferencing.
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) There is no evidence to suggest that countries with malaria are at lower risk of getting new coronavirus cases, nor has it been proved that people living in these countries have developed any 'herd immunity' against the disease, health experts have stressed.
One theory doing the rounds on some media platforms is that coronavirus cases and fatality rates have been rel
London, March 27 (IANS) In a bid to tackle the new coronavirus pandemic, a free online match-making service has launched to help COVID-19 researchers find one another across the globe, check out funding opportunities and get to work tackling the virus faster.
The UK-based open innovation network Crowdhelix, in partnership with media company ScienceBusiness, introduced the service at network.cr
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) As the nationwide 21-day lockdown entered its third day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that things are slowly becoming smooth in the city with the government equipped to deal with any spurt in COVID-19 cases.
"Daily we are holding meetings to review the situation. Slowly, things are becoming smooth in the city," Kejriwal said in a digital press
Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) Two prominent temple trusts in Maharashtra on Friday donated Rs 51 crore and Rs 2 crore to the government for providing various kinds of reliefs in the ongoing 'war against virus' in the state, officials said.
The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi (Ahmednagar) announced a donation of Rs.51 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF), its CEO Arun Dongre said.
Jaipur, March 27 (IANS) Three more corona patients were reported from Rajasthan on Friday taking the total tally to 46 in the state, said state health officials.
The new positive cases have been reported from Jodhpur.
One of them was a room mate and co-traveller of a person already found positive on Thursday. They travelled together from UK to Jodhpur, said Additional Chief Secretary Rohit
Jaipur, March 27 (IANS) Amid the ongoing corona crisis, the Rajasthan government on Friday brought good news for the state government employees by announcing an increase of 5% in dearness allowance, raising the DA from 12% to 17%.
The announcement will benefit seven lakh employees of the state and 4.5 lakh pensioners.
The dearness allowance for employees from July 1, 2019 to February 2020 w
Chandigarh, March 27 (IANS) Five more tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Friday, taking the total number to 38 people which comprise 27 close-knit family members and friends of a 70-year-old man who died last week, health officials said.
State's first and lone coronavirus death victim Baldev Singh, who died at the civil hospital in Banga town, had returned from Germany via Italy.
Chandigarh, March 27 (IANS) The Western Army Command on Friday said it has expeditiously undertaken various effective measures to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19 among its ranks and their families across cantonments and military stations in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
All the hospitals are adequately prepared with special wards to deal with coronavirus, an official
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) After the RBI Governor announced an emergency rate cut on Friday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lauded the move and stressed the need for lower cost of retail loans and that reduced interest rate needs quick transmission.
Posting on Twitter, Sitharaman said that the three-month moratorium on payments on term-loan installments and interest on working capit
New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) In the backdrop of large movement of migrant labourers from cities to their villages, the Centre on Friday issued an advisory directing all states and Union Territories (UTs) to take immediate steps to provide adequate support, including food and shelter to them.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written to all states and UTs to take steps to help these migr
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) Amid Covid-19 epidemic and the 21-day nationwide lockdown, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J.P. Nadda continues to interact with the party leaders through audio or video link, to keep an eye on the situation.
On Thursday, Nadda interacted with state party presidents and General Secretary (Organization) B.L. Santosh and called for scaling up the 'Feed The Poor' pro
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Centre on Thursday announced the first instalment of a fiscal relief package, worth Rs 170,000 crore, to protect the weaker sections of the society from the economic fallout of Covid-19.
Announcing the measures, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana will benefit migrant workers, rural poor and women.
It will provide relief via ext
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday said he has advised the health department to promote telemedicine consultations as per the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry.
Baijal in a tweet said: "In view of current situation containing COVID-19 outbreak by social distancing has to be observed in all conditions. Advised health department to promote telemedi
Hyderabad, March 26 (IANS) With the new positive coronavirus (Covid-19) cases surfacing on Thursday, the number of Covid-19 cases in Telangana has shot up to 43. According to a media bulletin issued by the state Public Health and Family Welfare Department, all the three new cases have been admitted to the designated hospitals and their condition is reported to be stable.
One of the samples tes
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Delhi government on Thursday released mobile numbers of zonal officers for the common man to file complaints against shopkeepers selling essential items for more than the MRP.
Delhi Cabinet minister Imran Hussain tweeted the numbers and asked people to file complaints.
"If you find any shopkeeper selling sealed commodities like milk, bread, oil, flour, pulses,
Bhopal, March 26 (IANS) A 47-year-old man admitted to a hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore after being suspected of coronavirus, died on Thursday morning, an official said.
The man has no travel history and his test reports are awaited, the official said.
Earlier treated at the Ujjain civil hospital, he was admitted to the Indore hospital on Wednesday with symptoms of breathlessness, the o
Mumbai, March 26 (IANS) As nation observes the 21-day COVID-19 lockdown, schools across the country are utilizing online classroom tools to keep the learning going, Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DIAS) is commencing virtual school platform to let its students study in the safety of their homes.
"While our campus remains closed, DIAS is commencing life teaching through our virtual schoo
New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) In this hour of crisis when India is battling one of its worst nightmares - COVID-19, there are a few chief ministers whose work seem to stand out as far as fighting the virus is concerned.
Uddhav Thackeray:
Well before the pan-India shutdown, like many state chiefs, Maharashtra's Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on March 20 announced that from Friday midnight all
New Delhi, March 26: Amid rising Coronavirus cases in India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday reviewed preparedness of the forces to tackle the crisis.
Singh held a review meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Secretary Defence Ajay Kumar and armed forces chiefs to seek what more can be done in the fight against COVID-19.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfar
Panaji, March 26: Amid a complete failure of the state government to facilitate home delivery of essential supplies to people over the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday is scheduled to meet owners of grocery stores and supermarkets to formulate a plan to allow people access to essential commodities.
Earlier on Thursday, the state Health authorities also managed to track d