She can't go to the beach, so Bani J did the next best thing. The VJ has coloured her tresses ocean blue with a streak of sea green and a hint of lavender. The Four More Shots Please actor couldn't just post a plain photograph as it 'did not feel creatively satisfying'.

She shared her new look on Insta and captioned it, "The picture has morphed into a supremely intense mixed media project. I always get to know myself better through this process. I realise again how much I like minute details. How there must be meaning hidden or obvious. I like layers. I like shadows, I love depth. Can't have a flat image (sic)."

 

 

 

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A post shared by âš¡Lady RocknRolla ♥ (@banij) onApr 27, 2020 at 4:13am PDT

The reason Bani turned her new hairdo into a 'work of art' was because "when I look back a few months down the line, I will always see more. One of the many great wonderful things about life (sic)." The details are what draw Bani in.

On the professional front, Bani Judge was last seen playing a homosexual character in Four More Shots Please! The second season of the series launched on April 17 on Amazon Prime Video in India.

The story picked up from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, bringing backstories of four unapologetically flawed ladies who live, love, blunder and discover what it really takes to build everlasting friendships in Mumbai.

Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd, the show is created by Rangita Pritish Nandy.

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Jhansi Ki Rani is one of the most successful television shows and continues to enjoy a massive fan-following. It was known for its canvas and great performances and all the actors became extremely popular post its success. Two of them are Shaheer Sheikh and Ashnoor Kaur. And Kaur celebrates her birthday today and turns a year younger.

And taking to his Instagram account, her former colleague and co-actor wished her in the most fabulous way possible. He wrote- "Happy birthday to this little one, who's all grown up now ... but the charm and innocence is still intact!" (sic)

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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Happy birthday to this little one, who’s all grown up now ... but the charm and innocence is still intact! May you achieve all that you’ve dreamt of and keep inspiring others to tread the right path. #happybirthday @ashnoorkaur

A post shared by Shaheer Sheikh (@shaheernsheikh) onMay 3, 2020 at 4:40am PDT

And also have a look at how the actress is celebrating her birthday amid the pandemic, as she describes herself, a very different celebration:

 

 

 

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A different experience this birthday in a lockdown... Somehow felt good... Celebrated with our Corona fighters, the people working for us, the watchmen(of my society) and the smile on their faces made up for all the restrictions! #lockdownbirthday #sweet16 #howicelebrated #BirthdayInALockdown

A post shared by Ashnoor Kaur (@ashnoorkaur) onMay 3, 2020 at 11:29am PDT

Hope we can see this Jodi on the small screen again!

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TV czarina Ekta Kapoor along with her friends Krystle D'Souza and Anita Hassanandani has shared a throwback video where the trio dances in a funny manner. Ekta took to Instagram and re-posted a video shared by Anita. The producer said she was coerced into joining by her two "mad" friends.

"Not on tik tok but got coerced into this cray video by two of my mad frns ! Since d lockdown is throwing out all old madness let it all be out there credit: @anitahassanandani... Girls just wanaaa have fun! #ThrowBack Merriii cuties @ektarkapoor@krystledsouza," she shared.

 

 

 

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Girls just wanaaa have fun! #ThrowBack Merriii cuties @ektarkapoor @krystledsouza

A post shared by Anita H Reddy (@anitahassanandani) onMay 3, 2020 at 4:49am PDT

Recently, Ekta shared a throwback picture from the days of "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi", the show that made Smriti Irani a household name as the nation's favourite telly-bahu, Tulsi.

 

 

 

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Three of us ! Wat e throwback #tarunkatyal @smritiiraniofficial n moi! #thenandnow

A post shared by Erk❤️rek (@ektarkapoor) onApr 13, 2020 at 6:36am PDT

Anita built a fan following with shows like "Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii", "Kkavyanjali" and "Yeh Hai Mohabbatein" over the years. She was last seen in "Naagin 3". In Bollywood, she was paired opposite Tusshar Kapoor in the Ekta-produced film, "Kucch To Hai".

Krystle rose to prominence with her roles in "Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai", "Ek Nayi Pehchaan" and "Brahmarakshas".

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The lockdown period brought filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari in front of the camera, and his nine-and-a-half-year old daughter Amaarisa got a chance to be a cinematographer on a scratch film for Kaun Banega Crorepati.

The new campaign has the show's host Amitabh Bachchan inviting KBC aspirants. It was shot from the confines of home, in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tiwari remotely directed the registration promo.

But before Big B's final video, there was a scratch film too. Talking about it, Tiwari told IANS: "This the first time I have done something like this. I've never shot a film sitting so far away from my star but yeah it was an interesting experience for me."

"The thing is when we were writing this campaign, we knew the restrictions under which this film would be shot so we didn't get really ambitious with the execution. We kept it very simple."

Explaining the campaign's execution process, the "Dangal" director shared: "For the execution bit, I had various chats with Mr. Bachchan, and to make it easier for him because he was only going to shoot the film at his house, I made a scratch film featuring me. My daughter (worked) as the cinematographer. I edited that film and I sent it across to him so that he could get a good idea about how I was looking at the film. And then Mr Bachchan did the rest. In fact, he did more. He was kind enough to send optional takes also...in case, I needed to look at alternatives. After that we did the post-production work, everybody sitting at their own homes."

This year, the campaign is all about: "Har cheez ko break lag sakta hai, sapno ko nahi (everything can take a break, but not dreams).

"Whenever we get down to working on KBC campaigns, what we normally do is we tap into the mindset of the people of the country at that point of time and given the situation we all are in, we chose to explore the possibility of having a campaign which was based around the idea of we being in the situation and how you tie it up to KBC as a game show," he said.

"We all know KBC is not just a game show. It's a means for people's dreams to be fulfilled. That's when we got this idea."

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The man with outstanding sense of humor and exceptional wit Maniesh Paul always takes his audience by surprise be it on stage or off stage. His comic timing and intelligent banters always lifts up everyone's mood.

Well when it comes to hair styling,our mothers hold a special place as they were out first hairstylists and Maniesh shares a glimpse of his cute childhood days where his mother had given him an adorable hairstyle and we are gushing over the cute picture forever now.

Maniesh recently posted a picture of his childhood where he mentioned about his mother tying ponytails or buns when he had long hair. He took his Instagram and shared his picture where he captioned it saying, "Ek toh meri mummy ko meri pony-tail banana bada acha lagta tha....yahan pe juda (bun)banaya hai!!hahahahaha but what amazing and stress free days those were!!"

 

 

 

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Ek toh meri mummy ko meri pony-tail banana bada acha lagta tha....yahan pe juda (bun)banaya hai!!hahahahaha but what amazing and stress free days those were!! #mp# childhood #free #mast #happy #memories #days #parents #delhiboy

A post shared by Maniesh Paul (@manieshpaul) onMay 6, 2020 at 11:50am PDT

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Actress Nisha Rawal has slammed people who belly-shamed her by asking if she is pregnant.

Nisha, who is married to Karan Mehra of "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai", took to Instagram and wrote: "This picture was clicked yesterday & ‘No! I ain't pregnant' & ‘Yes! I have a belly'. Belly shame is one of the many kinds of shaming we have in our stigmatised society! I have always had a tummy. It would become smaller or bigger depending on my fitness regime but would never go away! I was always ashamed of it and that made me do things that would either injure me by beating myself up in the gym doing crunches until my muscles went into a cramp or would do the opposite with my hog-sprees!"

 

 

 

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A post shared by Nisha Rawal (@missnisharawal) onMay 7, 2020 at 5:53am PDT

She added: "After we got married, all eyes were even more on my tummy! And now they had the audacity of transforming into questions, at the red carpet, in the lift, in interviews, coffee shops: ‘Are u pregnant?' While I was like, ‘Am I supposed to be or am I even supposed to answer that question or should I work more on my belly, and towards the end of it, that shame would make me indulge more, making it a vicious cycle!"

Nisha believes in being fit over fat.

"See that's what shaming does, it just makes the victim do more of what he is shamed about.We all have shamed someone, knowingly or unknowingly because our culture conditions us to believe it's normal to ask anyone,
‘Hey why all the weight?'
‘Don't u eat anything?'
‘You must be dieting too much',
and on goes the list!

And after we have babies, except for a rare, few women, our bellies are never the same! They sag and have stretch marks! We won't wear a bikini, won't have sex with lights on and would suddenly become so conscious of the bodies we have lived in all our lives!It's not easy to accept this new found body post birth.But let's atleast hold each other's hands and try! Let's uplift each other," she urged.

Karan and Nisha have a boy named Kavish who was born in 2017.

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A recently conducted study by researchers in Norway shed some light on how men and women perceive one night stands. The findings were rather interesing...

The main reason behind conducting the study was due to the liberal mindset that Norwegian men and women shared regarding casual sexual encounters.

Researchers discovered that about 35 per cent of women regretted going through with it the next morning, while only 20 per cent men shared this view.

Furthermore, most women were reportedly unhappy about the experience, with only 30 per cent claiming to have enjoyed their most recent casual sex fling.

Also, when it came to rejecting the offer, 80 pc women didn't regret saying no, while only 43 pc men felt the same way.

Researchers explored in detail the possible reasons behind women regretting a one night stand. The reasons ranged from lack of adequate sexual pleasure during the encounter, pregnancy concerns, fear of contracting STDs among other things. On the other hand, most men regretted turning down a casual sex offer.

The study was conducted by the the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Psychology along with the University of Texas at Austin. 263 male and female students aged 19 and 37 years were studied.

All images for Representational purposes

The thought of regular sex varies from person to person. While for some regular sex is a fun and 'must-have' act, for others it is like a deal beyond imagination. Finally, there is another set of people, who do not consider regular sex as a mandate to a happy relationship. The cosy moments, the mild touches, the gentle bites, the smooch, the eye contact, the silence, the cuddles, and finally the sexual climax make a relationship healthy and strong. Some may be content with their sex life, while others may experience dissatisfaction. Those who are still looking for the ideal ways to reach sexual nirvana and have a successful climax, these six steps may be of great help to them. Take a look:

1. Take a shower together: Sex can happen anywhere in the house and a bed need not be the supporting agent every time. If possible, lock yourselves up in the bathroom and stand below the shower. Come out of the comfort zone and the cliched dark bedroom scenario. For a change, let the shower cubicle do the wonders. Try to grab each other tightly while you get drenched. Go ahead with those touches and kisses that you would have otherwise done in the bedroom. In case you get a chance to bath together in a bathtub, grab it right away.

 

2. Engage in dirty talks: Initially you might hesitate to open up to your partners, but with time opening up to the opposite sex can bring a u-turn to your sexual life. It’s not only those silent acts and foreplay that can help attain sexual nirvana, but also dirty talks and naughty touches can lead to sexual proximity. Be it the man or woman; none should hesitate to utter some flirty speeches to attain sexual satisfaction.

3. Keep the sensual touches alive: No one can deny the fact that sensual touches can gradually lead to a heavenly climax. Arouse your partner with a body massage. Women respond well to sensual touches and therefore attain greater orgasm. They can even touch their man from top to bottom to arouse him and gradually move towards a successful end together.

4. Try different sex positions: If you get bored of one particular position, try different positions like crisscross, 69 and BDSM. Trying a new position for the first time may be a bit difficult, but gradually the experiments can definitely work out. Pay heed to your intuitions and crave for something new every day.

5. Wear appealing nightwear: Men love to see their women in revealing and appealing clothes. Thin-strapped night wears, lacy lingerie, satin gowns or short hot pants can raise the room temperature and arouse the man at the same time. Women can even go for the man’s favourite colour lingerie.

6. Smell good and let the room smell good too: Use floral. fruity or chocolate scented body mists to raise the mood of the man and vice-versa. Try to apply body lotions and face creams that have pleasant fruity aromas. Along with that, the room should also smell good and fresh. Use lavender or rose scented room fresheners to create a romantic environment and set the mood for sex. Women can also opt for a good vaginal wash to maintain hygiene and freshness.



Fasten your seat belts and be ready to turn lust into reality. Sexual nirvana not only brings happiness or fulfils one's physical lust, but also is the core ingredient to a happy and successful relationship. After all, a small act can bring a big blow!

Representational picture

New Delhi: If you've ever felt disgusted when your partner paid more attention to his/her phone on a date then you are not the only one. Most adults in India paid more attention to their smartphone than their partner when they were together, a new study has revealed.

Sixty per cent of adults surveyed said their partner paid more attention to their own smart device when they were together on a date.

The study, titled "Three's Company: Lovers, Friends and Devices" and released on Wednesday by Intel Security, aims to understand the online behaviour of people and how it affects their relationship with friends and significant others.

Money, gifts and a dinner in a glamorous restaurant mean nothing in a relationship when the partners pay no attention to each other. The study found that 57 per cent of those studied had to compete with their partner's smartphone for attention on a first date.

An intrusion into a relationship leads to a quarrel which is corroborated by the fact that 75 per cent of the adults reported getting into an argument with a friend, significant other, or family member over being on a device while together.

The study involved 1,400 Indian adults who use an internet-connected device on a daily basis.

Amid this lack of attention in relationships, it was revealed that 46 per cent of couples share passwords to social media accounts, 38 per cent share passwords to personal email accounts and, interestingly, nearly 35 per cent of adults share their work-specific devices and accounts with their significant other.

Intel Security suggested using long passwords including numbers, and lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as symbols.

This Valentine's Day, if you are planning to make your partner smile, make sure to pay more attention to his/her words than the text on your smartphone.

What should I wear? Should I apply make-up or stay normal? Should I wear heels or flats? Should I carry a sling bag or a clutch? So many questions like these crop up in a girl's mind when they dress up for their first date. Stop worrying about all these and think the other way round. You guys have spoke earlier, knew each other’s choices and preferences (to some extent, if not completely) and now decided to meet up. So be happy and just go about it.. But wait! There are some things which girls should 'not' always expect on their first date:

1. He will pay the restaurant bill: This might be true, but not always. Do not always expect the guy to pay the bill or even if he wishes to, do take an initiative from your end also. It might look a bit awkward, but try to split the cheque. You may never know, later on if this relation works out, he might make you laugh out loud regarding the incident.

2. He will drop you home: If he comes with his car on your first date, then you can expect. But what if he does not have a car and you know it before hand? You might have to return back home alone then. Be prepared!

3. He will meet over coffee: Is every first date over a coffee table or a cup of Latte? Why can’t it be in a popular Punjabi dhaba over a cup of ginger tea? Dear girls, don’t expect your first date to be in a classy chandelier lit coffee house over a dazzling glass of cold moccachino. At times be prepared to meet him at a dhaba under a moonlit sky too. Outdoor dining does wonders at times!

4. He will click a selfie with you: Come on girls! First date does not mean the final meet before marriage. It is only about getting introduced to each other face to face. Unless and until he is bold enough, he might hesitate to do the act. So you want to take the step? Well, that’s completely your choice and depends on the situation too.

5. He will compliment your gorgeous dress: This might happen over time but not always on the first date. You need to hold on your nerves ladies! Once the date works out, then over time your guy will overload you with compliments. Walk in casually and things might work out.

6. He will talk about your past relationship: Why do you want to spoil the first meet by talking about the bitter past? In case you guys are already aware of each other’s past, then postpone the discussion for future. The first date is all about a romantic evening, a warm welcome, a delectable dinner and a cool conversation ending with a sweet 'bye-bye' note.

7. He will only do the ice-breaking session: Your instinct may be to ask a bunch of questions to get him to open up, but it might feel like a college admission interview. Still, keep the conversations going, don’t worry about silences. You can keep any topic like what’s his favourite music, is he interested in long drives and did he bully friends in college, and such funny stuff.

The day must end on a good note. Do not rush out of the car if he drops you home. Before he starts, ask him if you guys can meet over Karaoke soon. If it's in his mind too, he'll surely lean in! Blush blush! Keep eye contact while talking to the man.

Get your heels on ladies and try to make you first date the most cherished day of your life! Follow the tricks and thank us later.. :)

Shehnaaz Gill signed Mujhse Shaadi Karoge immediately after she exited the Bigg Boss 13 house. The idea of the show was to find her a potential groom through various tasks and activities. However, during her last interaction with a portal, Shehnaaz accepted that she was not interested in the show and that she regrets being a part of it. She has always been clear about her feelings for Sidharth Shukla and has confessed them to him.

Mayur Verma, one of the contestants on the show has reacted to her statement. He said that they knew she was not interested in the show from the third day itself. He said that she told them to have fun and enjoy their stay in the house and that it should look like the best boys were shortlisted for her. she further explained to them that she liked Sidharth and he liked her too. The boys would joke with her saying that when she got married, they would push the car for her groom and her.

What do you think of this entire reality show controversy? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: Shehnaaz Gill says she does not care about other people’s opinions, but feels bad when they target her fans

Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Meera Chopra has revealed that her father was robbed at knifepoint at Police Colony in New Delhi. Her father was out for an evening walk when the incident took place.

Sharing the details on her Twitter, Meera wrote, “My dad was taking a walk in #policecolony. 2 guys came in a scooter, showed knife and snatched his phone. This is how safe you claim Delhi to be.” She tagged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Police in her tweet.

@DelhiPolice my dad was taking a walk in #policecolony. 2 guys came in a scooter, showed knife and snatched his phone. This is how safe you claim delhi to be. @ArvindKejriwal @CPDelhi

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

"Fir no: NWD-MT-000568 at prince road near pcr police line, model town. Can send you the contact number in direct msg or some email," she wrote in her follow up tweet.

Fir no: NWD-MT-000568 at prince road near pcr police line, model town. Can send you the contact number in direct msg or some email. https://t.co/KFmH0vTtFo

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

She further thanked the cops for their swift action. “Thanks @DcpNorthDelhi for such a quick action. Makes me proud when we feel protected by our police department. It's never abt what has been snatched but protecting our elders is most important! Respect @DelhiPolice," she wrote.

Thanks @DcpNorthDelhi for such a quick action. Makes me proud when we feel protected by our police department. Its never abt what has been snatched but protecting our elders is most important! Respect @DelhiPolice https://t.co/KFmH0vTtFo

— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) May 5, 2020

Meera Chopra was last seen in Section 375 alongside Akshaye Khanna and Richa Chadha.

ALSO READ: Bigg Boss 13: Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Meera Chopra calls out Sidharth Shukla for making derogatory remarks about Asim Riaz’s father

The quality of sleep you get is always important, but even more so in times like these. And to help you deal with your sleep troubles, Audible has launched a brand new slate of content that is perfect to listen to when hitting the sack. Headlined by world-renowned artists like Diddy and Nick Jonas, this slate has been created in part through a collaboration with Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global and will be offered to listeners, absolutely free of cost.

Mindful titles such as Honor Yourself (narrated by Diddy on Sleep) and You are Here (narrated by Gabby Bernstein) will be sure to put your mind at ease. The Perfect Swing, an inspiring bedtime story narrated by Nick Jonas, is the best way to drift off after a long day. 6 Sleep Myths Debunked, narrated by Arianna Huffington, gives you a quick lowdown on how to improve your sleep cycle.

These stories, many of which are penned and voiced by wellness experts, are a treat for your daily sleep rituals. Relaxing bedtime stories, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) and sound baths (a technique where participants bathe in sound waves produced by the human voice and instruments such as chimes, gongs and drums) promise a soothing experience for adults and children, alike.

Shailesh Sawlani, Country Head, Audible India said “The world is going through a difficult time, and it is essential to have a sound mind and body, now more than ever. At Audible, we understand that sleep plays a crucial role in managing stress and we believe in the power of audio content to soothe the mind. We are proud to collaborate with some of the world’s leading personalities and Ariana Huffington’s Thrive Global to release this new slate of audio content, specifically designed to help you rest better at night. We hope the sleep-inducing, wellness content across our audiobooks and Suno collection will help you find peace in these trying times and nurture your mental well-being”.

ALSO READ: Nick Jonas turns Priyanka Chopra’s in-house piano instructor

After Jungle Cruise, actors Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to reunite for the movie adaptation of the 1990s comic, Ball and Chain. It will be written by Emily V Gordon.

"The project is being described as a superhero story meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where a couple struggling in their marriage are equipped with superpowers. However, their powers only work when they’re together," revealed The Hollywood Reporter.

Dwayne Johnson, Dany, and Hiram Garcia will produce under Seven Bucks banner along with Kevin Misher and Emily Blunt.

Meanwhile, their film Jungle Cruise has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The film has been moved to July 2021 release.

ALSO READ: Ryan Reynolds has a hilarious birthday message for Red Notice co-star Dwayne Johnson

On Wednesday the nation woke up to Ramayan’s favourite Sita, Dipika Chiklia being quoted in a Hindi daily, “अगर मोदी सरकार को लगता है क‍ि 'रामायण' ने संस्‍कृति में योगदान द‍िया है तो हमें पद्म सम्मान से सम्‍मानित करें (if the Modi government feels that Ramayan has contributed to India culture then we should be honoured with the Padma award).”

On hearing this statement, there was a widespread hue and cry among the fans and well-wishers of the serial. A Union Minister on oath of anonymity observed, “I’ve never heard of an artiste lobbying for his or her own Padma award. Let the Government decide whom it wants to honour.”

In a startling twist to the controversy Dipika completely denied having lobbied for her own Padma. “I never said that I should be given the Padma award. People are twisting my words. The topic (of getting the Padma award) never came to me. It was directed at Arun Govil only. I was asked about the royalty from the latest telecast of Ramayan. And yes, I did say we should get royalty. It was Arunji who spoke about the Padma awards, and that too because he was asked about it,” says Dipika in an exclusive chat with me.

Also Read: World’s favourite television series, Ramayan, launches on StarPlus!

Mr. O.P Rai, Managing Director of Kala Niketan Entertainment India has been engaged in the business of entertainment since decades. Producing films, Music videos in various languages and even promoting all sorts of entertainment activities in India at Kala Niketan Channel.

His latest venture, the film Nobel Peace recently bagged the Best Film (Jury) award at 10th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2020. The Jury of the festival consisted of Mr. G.L Bhardwaj, National Award Winning film Director, Mr. Patrick, Renowned Filmmaker from France, Mr Niku from Japan, Mr. Fernando Merinero, Award Winning Director from Spain and Mr. Ruben Maria Soriquez, a Renowned  Director from Italy.

Alok Rai and Aina Rai who also happen to be the producers of this film, are unveiling the first poster of the movie. They both are US based Indians those who wish to serve their mother land with value based entertainment. Astik Dalai is a filmmaker with 16 plus years of experience in the field of cinema. He has directed research based documentaries, docudramas to music videos and this is his first feature film in Hindi.

The film Nobel Peace is about the journey of young boy Hayan Mir under the able guidance of a college professor Shlok Manhaas to eradicate hatred from the hearts of religiously biased individuals and to bring peace in the society.

The film’s cast comprises of Hiten Tejwani who is a well-known name in the entertainment industry and always known for his ability to act intensely. Here in this film too, he plays the role of the visionary professor, Mudasir Zafar plays the role of the young boy Hayan Mir who without fear attempts to propagate peace despite opposition from the society.

The Film is getting a very good response from the festivals around the globe for its wonderful storytelling, realist performances and overall making. The star cast consists of actors like Mayur Mehta, Aarti sharma and Rohit Raj also.

Apart from that half-producer Aina Rai who in spite of being a female managed to do wonders with her commendable efforts and ensured that the movie turns out to be capable enough to bag prestigious awards. Not only was she dedicated towards filmmaking which was naturally expected of her but was also the one keeping the morale of the crew and her better-half high in low times. Her passion for making films is admirable as she ensured every shot was handled with perfection and not for a moment gave up. As we say we put in more hard work for the things which we love. “I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But its true hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice and practice. If you don’t love something then don't do it. Also it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up and Aina is a living example of this.

Rakul Preet Singh started off with the south industry and is now one of the coveted actresses of Bollywood. She started off as a sportsperson and has played golf at a state level, but soon changed industries and her mother was the driving force for the career change. Her mother, Rini Singh revealed that she was the one that prepared her for Miss India and encouraged her to audition. Whenever Rakul would question her how things will work out, Rini moulded her.

Even when Rakul expressed that she will be required to wear a bikini, her mother said that she will prepare for it. Rakul reveals that her parents were more comfortable with the idea of her wearing a bikini more than she was. Whenever they went shopping, her father would ask her to buy vibrant coloured bikinis rather than the dull ones. It was Rakul's mother that wanted her to be a part of the industry because she was aware that Rakul could do it.

Rakul also spoke about how her mom changed jobs to take care of her brother and her whenever her father was transferred. She definitely gives all the credit to her parents for being super supportive with her career. She will next be seen in Attack with John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandes and has already started shooting for her untitled next with Arjun Kapoor.

Also Read: Rakul Preet Singh says Alia Bhatt is the best actress we have today

Dipika Chikhlia rose to fame with her performance as Sita in Ramanand Sagar's show Ramayan. Owing to the lockdown the show is being aired on television for the viewing of the younger generation. Now, Dipika is once again going to be seen on screen as she will be playing Sarojini in her new film.

Dipika took to her social media handle to unveil the first look poster of the movie which is based on freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. Dipika is seen posing in a thoughtful mode in the poster.

#sarojininaidu...1st look....poster pic.twitter.com/zN5hhdSJmX

— Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala (@ChikhliaDipika) May 7, 2020

Sarojini is directed by Akash Nayak and Dhiraj Mishra. The story has been written by Dhiraj Mishra and Yashomati Devi. The venture is produced by Kanu Bhai Patel under the Royal Film Media banner. Sarojini Naidu is a strong personality in India's freedom struggle and is known as the Nightingale of India.

This is the first full-length feature film on Sarojini Naidu that will show her political career.

ALSO READ: Dipika Chikhlia reveals that people in small town think of her as Sita and touch her feet even today

The two of the biggest superstars of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, also have an electrifying chemistry on screen. This was evident in Rakesh Roshan’s 1995 blockbuster Karan Arjun. Even in the romance saga Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, where Salman had a supporting part, the film went on another level whenever they came forward. Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam today is memorable chiefly because it starred both of them together. It’s been 18 years since they both came together, though they were sweet enough to do special appearances in each other’s films (Om Shanti Om, Tubelight and Zero). But to see them together in a two-hero flick is something that fans have been waiting for keenly. Their excitement did arise when reports emerged that Sanjay Leela Bhansali was planning to cast Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in his next flick. But sadly, the project failed to take off.

After SRK’s Zero tanked, the star took a long time in deciding his next and finally, if reports are believed, he has given his nod to blockbuster filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. However, as per a write-up by Rajeev Masand in Open magazine, Rajkumar Hirani had initially approached SRK with a different film. The article states that Rajkumar had the concept of a two-hero film in his mind. For this project, he wanted to cast both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. However, when he met SRK, he insisted that he’s keen on doing a solo-starrer. Hence, Rajkumar Hirani went back to the drawing board and he finally came up with an idea which was fine to both the filmmaker and the actor.

Rajkumar Hirani is writing the script with his regular colleague, Abhijat Joshi. As it is his style, Rajkumar Hirani is taking his own sweet time to write and fine-tune the script. He’s been sharing all the drafts with the superstar, who also provides his feedback and input to Rajkumar. However, an official announcement regarding this film will happen only when a fully satisfied Rajkumar Hirani locks the script. This is being done at the behest of the filmmaker and Shah Rukh Khan reportedly has no qualms in delaying the announcement.

Recently, SRK had got his fans excited when in a reply to a fan question on Twitter, he had hinted that his film with Rajkumar Hirani is indeed on.

Wow both are awesome and I have met them...but Raju apna sa lagta hai...nahi? https://t.co/EuSsrTHtx5

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 20, 2020

Also Read: Rajkumar Hirani and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to have an insightful conversation on the Heart To Heart Show

When the lockdown was announced, singer Sonu Nigam was in Dubai. The singer said that he has no plans to return to Mumbai anytime soon even as the government has started flight services to get back Indians who are stranded abroad. 

Talking to a daily, Sonu said that even if he comes to India, he will be quarantined for 14 days. The singer is currently busy with charity work and feels that it does not make sense to come back and get quarantined.

Sonu said that he is in the process of shifting to a new house in Dubai. He also said that Dubai has been his second home for quite some time now. Sonu also has his studio set over there and his family has also moved there. His son Nevaan is currently studying in Dubai and so he will be constantly shuttling between Mumbai and Dubai. 

ALSO READ: Sonu Nigam twists his Main Hoon Na title track amid Coronavirus pandemic, and it is hilarious

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> Considering that <em>Khandaani Shafakhana</em> is a Bollywood film, it has half a dozen songs in there. Otherwise a film with a subject revolving around 'let's talk about sex' hardly has the kind of premise which would warrant a music album. Nonetheless, this is indeed the case with this Sonakshi Sinha, Badshah and Varun Sharma film and one waits to hear what is in the offering. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-999303" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Khandaani-Shafakhana-Dil-Jaaniye-Sonakshi-Sinha.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="405" /> <strong>MUSIC</strong> As is the trend, a couple of recreated numbers - both courtesy composer and lyricist Tanishk Bagchi - open the soundtrack. First to arrive is Jasbir Jassi's <strong><em>'Koka'</em></strong> which is a good party number that has an immense foot tapping appeal to it. With Badshah and Dhvani Bhanushali joining the fun and Mellow D chipping in with additional lyrics, <em>'Koka'</em> has been a chartbuster over a period of time and would only consolidate its hit status in months to come as well. Next to arrive is <strong><em>'Sheher Ki Ladki'</em></strong> which was a rage back in time when seen in the film Rakshak. The song is recreated with Badshah and Tulsi Kumar, and the overall results are quite good all over again. The core hook of the song is what makes you revisit this one all over again, and there is someting intoxicating about <em>'Sheher Ki Ladki'</em> that it sounds as fresh as ever. After a couple of dance songs arrives a romantic track which is put to tune by Payal Dev and written by Shabbir Ahmed. Titled <strong><em>'Dil Jaaniye'</em></strong>, this one rendered by Jubin Nautiyal and Tulsi Kumar is a pleasant hear and stays well with you for its near five minute duration. With a bit of Punjabi in there, this one is fine while it lasts though, its heard-before feel means you don't quite carry it with you after you are through listening to it. It's back to party time with Badshah playing a triple role of composer, lyricist and singer for <strong><em>'Saans To Le Le'</em></strong>. As is the case with Badshah tracks, there is an inherent hook sound here as well and that's what sticks in your mind after you have heard it a couple of times. Though overall the song, which also has Rico chipping in as a singer, doesn't really give the impression of a major chartbuster in the first go, one waits to see how it is picturised. That could well make a difference to the overall popularity that it ends up gaining eventually. The song which arrives next actually turns out to be a soothing outing that makes one feel that it could well have appeared a bit earlier in the soundtrack. The manner in which Tochi Raina sings <strong><em>'Udd Jaa'</em></strong> is indeed quite impressive and the overall effort by composer Rochak Kohli and lyricist Kumaar is also something that you do notice. Yet again, this one isn't the kind that turns out to be an instant chartbuster. However, there is something soulful and serene about this situational number that you wouldn't mind playing it in loop and listening to it for long. Rochak Kohli concludes the album with Altamash Faridi sung <strong><em>'Bheege Mann'</em></strong> and this time around the end result is just about ordinary. A slow moving situational track written by Gautam G Sharma and Gurpreet Saini, it actually brings down the pace of the soundtrack. Had there been one of the three party numbers placed as the last song in <em>Khandaani Shafakhana</em>, it may just have made for a better end result. <strong>OVERALL</strong> The music of <em>Khandaani Shafakhana</em> turns out to be better than expected. One expected that most of the songs in there would be situational but this one actually turns out to be a good collage of songs with dance numbers, situational songs and a romantic number thrown in as well. <strong>OUR PICK(S)</strong> <em>‘Koka’</em>, <em>‘Sheher Ki Ladki’</em>, <em>‘Saans To Le Le’</em>, <em>‘Udd Jaa’</em>

<strong>EXPECTATIONS</strong> Of late, music in films starring Kartik Aaryan has invariably turned out to be of chartbuster variety. It was seen earlier this year in <em>Luka Chuppi</em> as well and now 2019 is ending with a bang, what with each of the songs from <em> </em> turning out to be a chartbuster. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1057787" src="https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Music-Review-Pati-Patni-Aur-Woh.jpg" alt="Music Review - Pati Patni Aur Woh" width="750" height="450" /> <strong>MUSIC</strong> It is time to welcome yet another recreated version, this time that of Tony Kakkar's mega hit number <strong><em>'Dheeme</em> <em>Dheeme'</em></strong>. The man who has been getting it right for most of the times, Tanishk Bagchi, hits a six yet again with this version which has Tony Kakkar and Neha Kakkar coming together for this rollicking club track. A superb number that has a huge foot tapping appeal and is set to rock the show for many more months to come as well, <strong><em>'Dheeme</em></strong> <strong><em>Dheeme'</em></strong> has Tony Kakkar, Tanishk Bagchi &amp; Mellow D contributing towards the lyrics as well. A love song comes next in the form of <strong><em>'Tu Hi Yaar Mera'</em></strong> which has Neha Kakkar being heard in an altogether different avtar from her usual self. Instead of a fun-n-frolic outing, she becomes a part of a love song which has been beautifully composed by Rochak Kohli with Arijit Singh showing once again that he is the numero uno choice when it comes to singing his way right into the heart. Moreover, it is lyrics by Kumaar that make a good impact as well, hence ensuring that <strong><em>'Tu Hi Yaar Mera'</em></strong> turns out to be a song that would have a good shelf life. As for a love song that has certain depth to it, <strong><em>'Dilbara'</em></strong> couldn't have come at a better time, what with Sachet-Parampara doing well yet again after their superlative effort in <em>Kabir Singh</em> and then <em>Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas</em>. A Hindi-Punjabi song which has a trademark stamp of the composers-singers, <strong><em>'Dilbara'</em></strong> is pretty well written by Navi Ferozpurwala who gets the feel of 'dard-e-judaai' right. In fact it is surprising that the song hasn't been hammered to the fullest as this one carries good potential to find popularity amongst those mending a broken heart. Last to arrive is yet another recreated version, <strong><em>'Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare',</em></strong> which has stayed on to be a chartbuster even after a couple of decades since it was heard first in <em>Dulhe Raja</em>. The tune by Anand-Milind is given a good twist by Tanishk Bagchi who brings on board just the right singers in the form of Mika Singh and Tulsi Kumar to result in a song that sounds fresh till date. While the core peg <strong><em>'Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare'</em></strong> as well as the 'antara' by Sameer is retained as is, the 'mukhda' goes through a transformation albeit without hurting the originality much. <strong>OVERALL</strong> The music of <em>Pati Patni Aur Woh</em> is on expected lines as there is no dull moment whatsoever. A couple of recreated dance numbers and then a couple of love songs ensure that this one turns out to be a well-rounded affair. <strong>OUR PICK(S)</strong> <em>Dheeme Dheeme</em>, <em>Ankhiyon Se Goli Mare</em>, <em>Dilbara</em>

31/01/2020

28/02/2020

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed that airline operations of all domestic and international flights will remain suspended till May 3.

All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm, 3rd May: Ministry of Civil Aviation pic.twitter.com/dJaOJfVMzJ

— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2020

"All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm, 3rd May," the Ministry said. Earlier today in his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi announced that the country will remain under lockdown till May 3 to contain COVID-19 cases. The 21-day lockdown, which was announced by the Prime Minister last month, was slated to end today.

Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already announced the extension of lockdown. India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has climbed to 10,363 including 8,988 active cases, 1,035 cured/discharged/migrated and 339 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said today.

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While checking our bank accounts and our stocked fridges this week, have felt a moment of gratitude for the economic security nets that we have, that will help us tide over the next 21 days untill 30th of April 2020, as announced by the Indian government for breaking down the chain of COVID-19 i.e Coronavirus.

But there are also many who don’t have this net, and now do not have the option of stepping out to earn their daily wage and henceforth they are needy.

Some organisations & Individuals are helping the fortunate former reach out to help the latter. Meet Palan if one of the individual helping the poor society during the lockdown.

To help you aid these initiatives, Volunteers for Meet's team has put together a list of verified Non-Government Organizations, charities and institutions, which are working towards this cause in Rajkot, Gujarat.

For instance, Meet's & his team has successfully called for contributions and have donated more than 270 kilograms of rice with more than 235 kilograms of dal which is the basic staple food in india. Congratulations to Mr Meet Palan and all the best to him for his good deeds.

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A district magistrate court in Rohtak opened its doors on the night of April 13 to solemnise the wedding of a local boy marry a Mexican girl under the Special Marriage Act as both could not tie the knot due to the ongoing lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. The couple met on a language learning app in 2017 and got engaged the next year.

Niranjan Kashyap: On Feb 17 we applied for marriage under Special Marriage Act which has 30-day notice. The notice was to end on Mar18 but lockdown started on Mar 19 so we couldn't get married.We submitted an application to District Collector after which he conducted our wedding. https://t.co/BuZtjVQFFm

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

According to Niranjan Kashyap, who hails from Surya Colony in Rohtak he and and his Mexican-origin partner Dana Joheri Oliveros Cruise applied to get married under the Special Marriage Act on February 17. "We met on a language learning app. In 2017, she came to India on my birthday. Then this February 11, Dana and her mother came to India for the wedding. On February 17, we applied for marriage under the Special Marriage Act which has a 30-day notice," Kashyap told ANI.

"The notice was to end on March 18 but by then the lockdown began so we could not get married. We submitted an application to the District Collector after which he conducted our wedding," he said. He further said that Dana had booked a flight back to Mexico on March 24 but with the lockdown being extended further till May 3 she has now rescheduled her flight to May 5

Dana said, "I came to meet him in 2017. We later got engaged in December 2018 and I returned to Mexico. I spent two years in Mexico. Due to lockdown, we couldn't marry. Deputy Commissioner helped us to marry."

Advocate Niranjan Kashyap, who helped the couple get married said: "Both of them came to us. Since the girl was from Mexico, they can marry under the Special Marriage Act. Later, we approached the District Magistrate and he sent requests to the Mexican Embassy and other offices for a no objection certificate. After NOC was obtained, the District Magistrate opened the court and performed the marriage on April 13 at 8 pm."

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With the coronavirus lockdown forcing people to stay at home, they are turning to the internet to keep their spirits up such a turbulent time. The social media is flooded with hilarious memes, videos and other posts that not only kept the netizens entertained but also spread awareness about the importance of maintaining  social distance.

Not just new content, even old content is making rounds of social media which is being seen in pretext of the lockdown. Union Minister Smriti Irani has shared a video to explain the importance of staying at home during the lockdown.

The video originally posted by popular Youtuber Ashish Chanchlani  in his page, Ashish Chanchlani Vines shows what would happen if American films were made in India. Portraying as a thriller, the video shows a man being chased by a masked man dressing like a ghost. As the man reaches at the doorstep of his house, he stops to remove his shoes and socks before stepping in, which customary in Indian households. After being prompted by the man, the killer removes his shoes too.

The union minister for Women and Child Development and Textiles posted the video on Instagram and captioned it as, "Lockdown Humour. Stay Home, Stay Safe!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Smriti Irani (@smritiiraniofficial) onApr 12, 2020 at 9:54pm PDT

The post garnered 193,272 views and 23,209 likes on the photo-sharing app where many of her followers thanked her sharing the video along with posting hilarious reactions. One user said, "Culture with ever care vision (sic)." Another user said, "Kahani ghar ghar ki." A user said, "Nowadays, after entering the house both of them should wash their hands thoroughly too before continuing their run, otherwise donon ko corona mar degi!"

What do you think about this video?

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Industrial units in rural areas will be allowed to function from April 20 provided they follow social distancing norms while all kinds of public transport will be barred and public places closed till May 3, according to guidelines issued on Wednesday to enforce the second phase of the lockdown.

Wearing masks/face covers in public places is now compulsory across the country. Besides, spitting in public has been made a punishable offence and a strict ban enforced on the sale of "liquor, 'gutka' tobacco etc" under the new Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines that come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday, extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3. Pic/Twitter Narendra Modi

The prime minister also said necessary activities will be allowed from April 20 in identified areas of the country. A three-week lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 came into effect after his announcement on March 24.

Laying out the dos and don’ts for phase two of the pan India lockdown, the guidelines state that all work places should make adequate arrangements for temperature screening and must provide sanitisers at convenient places.

Services provided by self-employed electricians, IT repair personnel, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters will be allowed from April 20. While inter-state, inter-district movement of people, metro, bus services will be prohibited till May 3, the government has allowed industrial units located in rural areas to function from April 20 by observing strict social distancing norms.

Mumbai police officials snapped during a candid moment at the Gateway of India amid lockdown

Manufacturing, industrial units with access control in SEZs, export oriented units, industrial estates, industrial townships will also be allowed to function from that date. Educational institutions, coaching centres, domestic, international air travel, train services will remain suspended, the ministry said.

Public places such as cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools and bars will be shut too till May 3. All social, political, sports, religious functions, religious places, places of worship will also be closed till then, according to the guidelines.

However, highway ''dhaba'' (eateries), truck repairing shops, call centres for government activities will remain open from April 20. Shops selling agriculture machinery and those dealing with spare parts, supply chains and repairs as well as ''custom hiring centres’ related to farm machinery will also be open from that day.

Activities permitted five days from now include those related to agricultural and the horticultural sectors, farmers and farm workers in the field as well as procurement of agri products. Units manufacturing drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical infrastructure, including manufacture of ambulances, will be open from April 20.

A woman carries ration on her shoulders as a police officer looks on amid lockdown in the city

The guidelines state that grocery stores, fruits, vegetables shops/ carts, milk booths, poultry, meat and fish shop will remain open during the lockdown. However, exemptions given from April 20 will not be applicable in COVID-19 hotspots/containment zones. The document specifies that state/UT governments shall not dilute guidelines in any manner but may impose stricter measures in accordance with local requirements.

The Home Ministry said permitted industries must make arrangements for the stay of workers within their premises or in adjacent buildings by observing social distancing norms. It said Defence, paramilitary, Health and Family Welfare, disaster management, NIC, FCI, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra and Customs offices will function without any restrictions.

Other ministries and departments will function with "100 per cent attendance" with deputy secretary and above rank officers. "Remaining officers and staff to attend up to 33 per cent as per requirement," it said. According to the guidelines, in order to mitigate the public’s hardship, select additional activities will be allowed from April 20.

"However, these additional activities will be operationalised by states and UTs and district administrators based on strict compliance to existing guidelines on lockdown measures," it said.

Activities permitted from April 20 are aimed at ensuring that agricultural and related activities remain fully functional, rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of labour force, select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols and digital economy, states the document.

Police authorities seal off Worli-Koliwada after coronavirus positive cases were confirmed from Worli

The revised guidelines will not apply in containment zones, as demarcated by states/ UTs/ district administrations. If any new area is included in the category of a containment zone, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorization as a containment zone will be suspended except those specifically permitted under the Health Ministry’s guidelines.

Containment zones will be demarcated by states/UTs/ district administrations in accordance with the ministry’ guidelines. In these zones, no unchecked inward/outward movement of population would be allowed, except for essential services.

The government described digital economy as critical to the services sector. Accordingly, e-commerce operations, operations of IT and IT enabled services, data and call centres for government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all permitted.

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To ensure that the labourers and migrant workers can earn a livelihood once the lockdown is over, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has started an initiative to introduce skill-based training among beggars and the homeless in the city. Tukaram Mundhe, Nagpur Municipal Cooperation Commissioner said, "After the lockdown was announced, we shifted the homeless and beggars to shelter homes and providing them with food, accommodation and other facilities."

With about 19 shelter homes around the cities accommodating close to 1,500-2,000 people, the commissioner said they are being provided with some skill development activities apart from having basic amenities. "We have also introduced skill development programmes for them. In the long run, we intend to take up the eradication of beggary program in Nagpur by providing them skills so that they can get employed," Mundhe said.

Glimpses of homeless beggars in Nagpur after a makeover by NMC:

NMC's shelter home took many #Homeless people under its care during the #lockdown

Some with special abilities were also given a complete makeover for health and sanitation purposes. #Covid_19india #homelessness pic.twitter.com/w11dVpnNBa

— Tukaram Mundhe (@Tukaram_IndIAS) April 12, 2020

"We are also giving them a makeover as we are providing them skill-based training so that they can earn their livelihood once the lockdown ends," said Manish Soni, Public Relations Officer, NMC.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2,916 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state, out of which 295 patients have recovered and 187 patients have succumbed to the virus.

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Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19, joining global efforts to find a quick preventive for the deadly infection spreading rapidly across the world, says a top Indian scientist. Nearly 70 'vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021. As COVID-19 infects more than 1.9 million in the world and claims 1,26,000 lives, Indian scientists are also part of the global fight against the disease.

"While Zydus Cadila is working on two vaccines, Serum Institute, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunologicals, and Mynvax are developing one vaccine each," Gagandeep Kang, executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, told PTI. Kang is also vice chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which noted in a recent study that the "global vaccine R&D effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of scale and speed".

But it is a complicated process with many stages of testing and many challenges, explained experts. A vaccine for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may not take 10 years that other vaccines do but it could be at least a year before it is proven safe, effective, and made widely available, they said. "Vaccine development is a lengthy process which often takes years, with many challenges," said E. Sreekumar, chief scientific officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala.

"Generally, vaccines take several months to pass the different stages of testing, and then approvals also take time. For COVID-19, we don't expect a vaccine to come in this year," agreed Rakesh Mishra, director of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. Vaccine testing typically begins with animal and lab testing before going on to different stages of human testing.

"The human testing phase is composed of many phases," Sreekumar told PTI. "Phase one trials are small-scale, usually involving few participants, to assess whether the vaccine is safe for humans. Phase two trials often involve several hundred subjects, and mainly evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine against the disease," he said.
The final phase involves thousands of people to further assess the efficacy of the vaccine over a defined period of time, and can last several months, Sreekumar said.
"That is why we don't see a vaccine coming in at least a year from now."

Even after the vaccine is ready, he explained, there are a lot of challenges, including whether the vaccine is effective in all populations, and if it can be used for different strains of the novel coronavirus, which might start mutating as time passes. "There are lots of vaccines which are being tested for COVID-19, some of which are in the stage 1 clinical trial," Mishra added.

"But we still don't know how fast they will proceed towards a vaccine and they can take several months to reach any point," he said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three vaccine candidates are in the clinical testing phase, meaning they are able to be tested on humans, while nearly 70 are in the preclinical phase -- either in lab testing, or animal studies. Though Kang named six companies, the WHO has listed only Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute from India as among the global firms working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of April 8, 2020, said CEPI, the global COVID-19 vaccine R&D landscape includes 115 vaccine candidates, of which 78 are confirmed as active and 37 are unconfirmed.
Of the 78 confirmed active projects, 73 are currently at exploratory or preclinical stages, noted the CEPI team in an analysis published in the journal Nature reviews drug Discovery last week.

The most advanced candidates have recently moved into clinical development, including mRNA-1273 from US-based biotechnology company Moderna, Ad5-nCoV from Chinese biopharma company CanSino Biologicals, and INO-4800 from American pharmaceuticals company Inovio. Others in this list include LV-SMENP-DC and pathogen-specific aAPC from Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute in China.

Numerous other vaccine developers have indicated plans to initiate human testing in 2020, the CEPI scientists said. Experts believe the genome sequencing of the new coronavirus provided by scientists in China shows it shares 79 per cent of the same genetic material as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and 50 per cent of the same material as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a species of coronavirus which infects humans, bats, and camels.

This allows developers to use groundwork already created in research for vaccines for those viruses. Australia's national science agency CSIRO announced earlier this month that it has begun preclinical tests of a vaccine developed by Oxford University in the UK. A striking feature of the vaccine development landscape for COVID-19 is the range of technology platforms being evaluated, including nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), virus-like particle, live weakened virus, and inactivated virus approaches.

The CEPI noted that many of these platforms are not currently the basis for licensed vaccines, but experience in fields such as oncology is encouraging developers to exploit the opportunities that next-generation approaches offer for increased speed of development and manufacture.

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With over 12,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the country that resulted in the nationwide lockdown getting extended till May 3, the government had on Wednesday issued a set of fresh guidelines till May 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised speech on Tuesday announced measures that the government would undertake to tackle the pandemic.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry have also earmarked the districts in the country into three categories –red, green and orange zones as per the frequency of the cases reported from the areas. 

#COVID19 containment starts with the identification of hotspots and their categorization into Red, Orange & Green Zones: Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs pic.twitter.com/FbWUlfcyCd

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The BMC will also come up with red and orange zones in Mumbai to mark containment zones for stricter implementation of the lockdown. While the plans are still being drafted, areas with a high number of positive cases of COVID-19 will be put in the red zone and will have no external essential service providers. Let's know more about these zones.

Red zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts identified as hotspots are marked as red zones. These districts have reported a large number of Coronavirus cases and need focused attention. As much as  170 districts in the country have been marked as hotspots, which is further divided into two groups: (a) 123 districts where a large number of cases have been reported and  (b) 47 districts where cases were reported in clusters.

According to the Health Ministry, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases reported in the country, the districts contributing to more than 80 per cent of the cases in a state or districts with doubling rates reported to be less than four days, can be classified as a 'hotspot' or a 'red zone'. The ministry also said that the government will provide door-to-door facilities and undertake containment activities in these districts for the next 14 days. Mumbai,  recording the highest number cases in the country with 3,081, has been declared a hotspot by the government.

Orange Zone

The districts that had reported less number of Coronavirus cases or not seen a surge of positive cases in the area have been marked as 'orange zone'. In these zones, limited services of public transport, farm harvesting activities and functioning of small scale industries manufacturing essential items such as flour, pulses, and edible oils have been permitted. A hotspot district can be declared an orange zone if cases reported in 14 days is less or none.

According to the health ministry, 16 districts in Maharashtra have been declared as an orange zone. The districts are Gondia, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Hingoli, Akola, Beed, Amravati, Jalna, Latur, Osmanabad, Satara, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and  Sindhudurg

Green Zone

According to the Union Health Ministry, the districts that have not reported positive cases of Coronavirus are classified as green zones. In these zones, essential items that generate state revenue would be given an extension. Small scale industries manufacturing essential items will be allowed to function freely, but with strict maintenance of social distancing.

Hotspots have to undertake effective containment activities to flatten the curve and bring the number of Coronavirus cases down in order to qualify as an orange zone and subsequently as a green zone in 24 days.

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The well-known Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has warned in an advisory issued last week.

The well-known #Zoom video conferencing app for meetings is not a safe platform, the Cyber Coordination Centre (CCC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) has warned in an advisory issued last week. pic.twitter.com/rPRLkLGvpX

— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) April 16, 2020

In the advisory, issued on April 12, it is mentioned that "secure use of Zoom meeting platform is for private individuals and not for use of government offices or official purposes". The government said that CERT-In on the same lines had been informed on February 6 and March 30 this year clarifying that "Zoom is not a safe platform".

In a set of guidelines for the safety of private users, the CCC division of the MHA mentioned that "those private individuals who still would like to use Zoom for private purposes" should follow certain guidelines like prevention of unauthorised entry in conference room and unauthorised participants to carry out malicious activity on terminals of others in the conference. The advisory also suggested to "avoid 'DOS' attacks by restricting users through passwords and access grant".

Zoom app has apparently become a favourite and famous tool among people during the lockdown and it is being used by schools and many private players. "Most of the settings can be done by logging into users zoom account at website, or installed application at PC/Laptop/Phone and also during conduct of conference," the guidelines from MHA mentions.

Officials in the Home Ministry told IANS that the app has some specific weaknesses so it is necessary to avoid its use for official purposes as it can encrypt meeting data.

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After thanking doctors, nurses and health care professionals, on Thursday, the Google doodle paid tributes to food service workers, who have been serving people amid the coronavirus crisis with an animated illustration on Thursday. The animated doodle is part of the Google doodle which the search engine giant launched last week in order to celebrate the coronavirus warriors.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all food service workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/QV09JLTULv pic.twitter.com/WvIaLPLYQo

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 16, 2020

When one hovers over the doodle, it shows the message, "To all food service workers, thank you." The 'Thank You' doodle for food service workers features a heart emoticon being sent across to food service workers, who have been preparing food for COVID-19 patients, doctors and staff of the hospitals.

Besides food service workers, chefs, restaurants and food delivery workers have also resumed work in order to help the country fight the global pandemic. Through its animated doodle series, google will be honouring people who have been leading the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all grocery workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/XWOzYTjMqO pic.twitter.com/BudQ17hEMz

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 13, 2020

A few days ago, google released a doodle to thank medical professionals who have been leading India's fight against the deadly virus. To all doctors, nurses and medical workers; thank you." read the doodle message. The animated doodle also featured a little heart emoticon for everyone who is fighting the battle against COVID-19 on the frontline.

Talking about their animated doodle series to honours those fighting coronavirus Google said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

Today marks the beginning of our #GoogleDoodle series recognizing and honoring those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all the public health workers and to researchers in the scientific community, thank you.

→ https://t.co/EcrUYgo0xU pic.twitter.com/PUPl7Z0WHO

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 6, 2020

Besides healthcare professionals and food service workers, Google has so far honoured public health workers, emergency services workers, sanitation workers, farmers, grocery workers, public transportation workers, and delivery workers among others.

Till yesterday, India had 10,824 active cases and 1514 discharged and cured cases while 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China. Maharashtra has been the worst affected state with 2919 COVID-19 cases including 187 deaths.

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New Delhi: Congress Lok Sabha MP leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday appreciated Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and his colleagues in the ministry for doing "great job" amid COVID-19 outbreak.

"Thanks for the response @drharshvardhan! You &your colleagues are doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Guess this means that it won't be long before Thiruvananthapuram is off the hotspot list, as Kerala has categorised it in a lower tier than the most affected districts," Tharoor tweeted.

Tagging the minister in a tweet earlier, the Congress leader asked why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a COVID-19 hotspot.

"A bit curious as to why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a #Covid19 hotspot when it has such a great track record!? Perhaps @MoHFW_INDIA can enlighten us?" Tharoor, the Lok MP from Thiruvananthapuram had tweeted.

A but curious as to why Thiruvananthapuram is listed as a #Covid19 hotspot when it has such a great track record!? Perhaps @MoHFW_INDIA can enlighten us? @drharshvardhan @vijayanpinarayi @CMOKerala @kgkrishnan05 https://t.co/RWjjW3TiMp

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 16, 2020

Responding to the Congress leader, Harsh Vardhan said there are 170 hotspot districts, 207 non-hotspot & rest non-infected.

India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has climbed to 13,387 including 11,201 active cases, 1,749 cured/discharged/migrated and 437 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said today.

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The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 4,291 or about 30 per cent of the Coronavirus cases in the country have been traced to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. In Delhi, 63 per cent of the reported 1,707 cases are linked to the same gathering.

The total number of confirmed cases in India is 14,792. So far, 488 people have succumbed to the disease. The mortality rate of COVID-19 is 3.3 per cent. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said that 4,291 cases are epidemiologically linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz event. "These cases are spread across 23 states and Union Territories, which include most of the high-degree burden cases. There are 84 per cent cases in Tamil Nadu, 63 per cent in Delhi, 91 per cent in Assam, 61 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 83 per cent in Andaman & Nicobar.

"If lockdown and social distancing norms are not followed, then the entire country would have to face the consequences," said Agarwal. He also added that 47 districts in 23 states have shown positive trends in the fight against the outbreak in the country. "One district each in Puducherry and Karnataka has not reported a positive case yet. Along with this, 22 new districts, split across various states, have also not reported new cases in the last 14 days," added Agarwal.

Probe in Tablighi funding
The role of money exchanger RM & RM Associates based in Delhi's Nizamuddin and a chartered accountant working with Tablighi Jamaat is being scrutinised by Crime Branch sleuths of Delhi Police to ascertain foreign remittance received by the Jamaat, a senior IPS officer said.

The role of RM & RM Associates was flagged by senior police officers in the case against Tablighi Jamaat. Deputy Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey has been directed to probe the financial aspects in the case. Senior officers have issued directions to Tirkey to question owners and employees of RM & RM Associates. "They should be thoroughly questioned about the amount of remittance received from foreign countries by the Tablighi Jamaat," the direction stated.

Medical supplies flown
The Centre on Saturday said that under the Lifeline Udan initiative, 274 flights have transported around 463.15 tonnes of medical supplies across the country till April 17. "About 274 flights have been operated under Lifeline Udan by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF and private carriers. Cargo transported till date is around 463.15 tonnes," the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement on Saturday.

GoM may enlist retired docs
A Group of Ministers' meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the situation in the wake of lockdown. The meeting examined suggestions received to enlist services of retired doctors and medical students in the final year of their graduation.

Plasma Therapy in Gujarat
After Kerala, Gujarat has become the second state to have started Convalescent Plasma Therapy from Saturday to treat patients. An oral nod from the concerned Central Government agencies has been obtained and the state has started the preparations to commence the treatment of patients in two of the Ahmedabad hospitals. Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gujarat, said, "We have obtained the Drug Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval over phone."

Punjab cop succumbs
Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Anil Kohli, who was posted in Ludhiana city, on Saturday succumbed to the virus. The 52-year-old officer was diagnosed positive on April 13. The officer was on ventilator in a private hospital in Ludhiana since April 11, Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said.

In a first-of-its-kind clinical use of convalescent plasma therapy in the state, doctors on Saturday decided to try to cure him by using plasma of another young volunteer patient. Doctors said he died due to multiple organ failure.

Railways makes contactless cubicles for COVID-19 doctors in Karnataka

The South Western Railway (SWR) zone's Hubballi workshop has produced a contactless doctors' cubicle to treat patients without direct contact, an official said on Saturday. "SWR Hubballi workshop has come out with an innovative idea by creating contactless cubicles so that doctors checking suspected patients do not come in direct physical contact with them," a SWR spokesperson said in a statement. Looking like a telephone booth of yesteryears, the transparent cubicle will enable a doctor to put his hands out through two flexible glove-like protrusions to reach the patient.

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Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Saturday said that the state is reaping the rewards of the hard work that has gone in overall containment of the spread of COVID-19.

In the state, the number of new cases was in single digits and there are around 78,000 people under observation.

She told the media that in no way, can the Kerala government relax because "things can go haywire anytime, if we are not alert, but at the same time, life has to go on, if not there will be other issues."

"It should not be like, we saved people. But people also die out of hunger. So whatever relaxations are now announced to be effective after April 20, should not be an occasion to forget the alertness that we maintained. Instead, the relaxation should be used to revive the economy and it should happen by keeping all the rules and regulations of maintaining social distancing," said Shailaja.

Meanwhile, she stated that the death of a 85-year-old man, who was a former COVID-19 patient from Malappuram, is not due to the virus but due to a renal complication he developed. "He tested negative thrice. Then he had underlying ailments. He was a cardiac patient for three decades, had breathing issues and had kidney problems," said Shailaja.

78,000
No. of people under observation in Kerala

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A nine-day-old baby girl tested positive for COVID-19 in Bhopal on Sunday. She was born in Sultania Hospital, where two hospital nurses earlier tested positive for the virus. Infant's parents have been tested for the novel coronavirus, and their reports are awaited.

The number of COVID-19 cases has increased to 1407 in Madhya Pradesh including 72 deaths and 131 cured patients. 890 cases have been reported in Indore and 214 in Bhopal so far, according to the State Health Department.

Meanwhile, a total of 16,116 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus have been reported in India, including 519 deaths. 2,301 people, who were COVID-19 positive have recovered, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's father Anand Singh Bisht passed away at AIIMS in the national capital on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says he will not take part in the last rites of his father tomorrow, to ensure enforcement of lockdown and to defeat coronavirus pandemic in the state. pic.twitter.com/PPjy9xxLgB

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 20, 2020

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel expressed grief over Bisht's death. Several leaders including Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kamal Nath have condoled the death of Adityanth's father.

"Received Sad news of the death of Shri Anand Singh Bisht ji, father of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth. May his soul rest in peace and provide courage to his family in this difficult time," Singh tweeted.

"My deepest condolences on the death of Shri Anand Singh Bisht ji, father of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. May God give courage to the family to suffer pain in this hour of grief. Soulful tribute," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.

Kailash VIjayavargiya tweeted, "I am saddened by the news of the demise of Mr. Yogi Adityanath ji's father Mr. Anand Singh Bisht ji. I will salute the devotion of Yogiji, who completed the COVID-19 meeting, despite getting the information of his father's death".

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Smriti Irani's social media posts are easily the best with throwback grams, pictures of her family and memes!

This time she got us all nostalgic with her Instagram stories. She shared a couple of pictures which only the 20th century kids would relate to.

The first picture that she shared was of a white-shoe which was being polished. If you look carefully, you will realise that these are the same shoes that were worn by everyone during school days. She captioned the picture, "Kisko yaad hai? (Who remembers?)"

The second picture was of a landline phone with a round dial and the receiver kept down. In those days, it was the only way to stop the incoming calls. The text on this picture read, "How we blocked people in the 1980s."

The third image was of a cassette player with the cassette reel stuck in it. The caption of this picture read, "The youth of today will never know our struggle."

The last picture of the story showed a handle which was used to roll the car windows down before it was replaced with a button.

Feeling nostalgic yet?

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Three present and two former legislators were on Tuesday sworn in as ministers in the first expansion of the council of ministers in Madhya Pradesh.

The five were sworn in by Governor Lalji Tandon at a simple function in the Raj Bhawan amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was present at the ceremony. The state was without a cabinet since a month owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chouhan was sworn in CM on March 23 to head the BJP-led government in the state.

Among the new entrants, two ex-MLAs Tulsi Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput are supporters of former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who with 22 MLAs, including six ministers, quit Congress last month to join BJP. Former BJP ministers Narottam Mishra, Meena Singh and Kamal Patel were also inducted in the cabinet in Tuesday's expansion.

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The Union Home Ministry has extended relaxation to several agriculture and commercial industries from the lockdown restrictions. In the commercial sector, shops selling textbooks and establishments selling electric fans can also operate.

In the agricultural sector, the relaxation has been extended to facilities for export or import such as pack houses, inspection and treatment facilities for seeds and horticulture produce. It also includes relaxation to research establishments dealing with the agriculture and horticulture activities and the inter- and intra-state movement of planting materials and honey bee colonies, honey and other beehive products.

The Union Home Ministry also also ordered Standard Operating Procedure for the sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers (crew members) at Indian ports and their movement. According to the SOP laid down for sign-in of a Indian crew member, the ministry said that the seafarer will have to intimate their travel and contact history for the last 28 days to the ship owner or the recruitment and placement service.

The SOP can be followed through email, as per procedure laid down by the Director General of Shipping.

In a late development, the Home Ministry released a detailed SOP for disembarking and subsequent repatriation of seafarers stranded in ships and different ports-of-call across the world in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The development, which was welcomed by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant late on Tuesday, comes on a day when more than 60 Goan crew-members onboard cruiseship Marella Discovery, anchored off Mumbai, had released a video urging Sawant to allow them to disembark urgently, with the ship scheduled to sail for Europe on Wednesday.

"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for permitting the disembarking of seafarers at Indian ports. Goans stranded on the high seas will now soon be back home. I would request all the seafarers and their families to support the government in safe return of all our stranded brothers and sisters," Sawant said in a social media post on Tuesday.

According to government sources, the cruiseship currently has more than 100 Indian sailors, out of which more than sixty are from Goa. Earlier on Tuesday, after the video by the ship's Goan crew members went viral, the Opposition MLAs urged Sawant as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's urgent intervention in the issue.

"The crew member however will be tested for COVID-19 before boarding the ship and will be allowed to sign-in only if he is tested negative," the ministry said.

"For sign-off purposes, the Indian seafarer arriving on the vessel would undergo the COVID-19 test for confirmation that he/she is negative for COVID-19," it added. The crew member will be kept in a quarantine centre until the report arrives.

According to Goa CM Sawant, more than 8,000 seafarers of Goan origin, are stranded in various anchored ships and ports-of-call across the world. Sawant had said that the process for repatriation would only begin after the SOP was released by the MHA.

The SOP mandates testing of all sailors disembarking on Indian ports for Covid-19, followed by quarantine at a facility operated either by the port or by the respective state government where the port is located, until the test reports are received.

"If the seafarer is tested as positive for COVID-19, he/she will be dealt as per the procedures laid down by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare," the SOP states.

"For the seafarers tested negative and signed off, the local authority in the area where the seafarer disembarks will be intimated about his/her clearance for sign-off and for issue of a transit pass from the place of disembarkation to the place of his/her residence," it also states.

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"A telephonic survey on COVID-19 is being undertaken where you shall receive calls on your mobile from 1921 number. Please participate in this survey with your information," the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tweeted.

#IndiaFightsCorona

Please call the 24x7 toll free National Helpline number 1075 for support, guidance and response to health related queries on #COVID19. States' helpline nos. are available below ⬇️#StayAtHomeSaveLives

Via @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/ruMHz8Ww3J

— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) April 22, 2020

The survey is to be carried out by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and calls will be coming on mobile phones from the number 1921. "The citizens will get a call on their mobile phones by NIC by the number 1921. Participate in good measure to enable proper feedback of prevalence and distribution of COVID-19 symptoms," read a photo attached in the tweet.

The government has asked people to be aware of any other calls by pranksters or calls from any other numbers in the guise of such a similar survey.

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After agitated Congress workers filed multiple complaints against Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami, an FIR has been registered against him in a police station in Chhattisgarh's Raipur. The FIR in the Civil Lines police was filed on the complaint of state Congress chief Mohan Markam under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

In the complaint, Markam said that in his TV programme, the editor has instigated a crime and tried to disrupt communal harmony.

The Congress has also talked to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mahararashtra minister Balasahab Thorat said. "I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi. I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him," he said, in a tweet.

I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi
I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him

— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) April 22, 2020

The Congress has also initiated an online campaign against Goswami on various social media platforms.

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After agitated Congress workers filed multiple complaints against Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami, an FIR has been registered against him in a police station in Chhattisgarh's Raipur. The FIR in the Civil Lines police was filed on the complaint of state Congress chief Mohan Markam under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

In the complaint, Markam said that in his TV programme, the editor has instigated a crime and tried to disrupt communal harmony.

The Congress has also talked to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mahararashtra minister Balasahab Thorat said. "I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi. I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him," he said, in a tweet.

I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi
I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him

— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) April 22, 2020

The Congress has also initiated an online campaign against Goswami on various social media platforms.

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Asserting that 12 crore people have lost their jobs in the first phase of the lockdown, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said that it is imperative for the government to provide them with immediate financial assistance to each family to tide over this crisis and reiterated that the unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill. "Entitlement of food grains under the National Food Security Act has not yet reached the beneficiaries. 11 crore people who are in need of subsidized food grains, remain outside of the Public Distribution System. It should be our commitment to provide 10 kgs of food grains, 1 kg of pulses and half a Kg of sugar to each person of the family every month, in this hour of crisis," Gandhi at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today.

"12 crore jobs have been lost in the first phase of the lockdown. Unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill. It is imperative to provide at least Rs.7,500 to each family to tide over this crisis. Migrant labourers are still stranded, jobless and desperate to return home. They have been hit the hardest. They must be provided with food security and a financial safety net in order to survive this period of crisis," she said. The Congress chief said that a special package should be announced urgently for the survival of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

"MSMEs employ close to 11 crore personnel today. They make up for one third of the GDP. If they are to be protected from economic ruin, it is imperative that a special package be announced urgently for their survival," she said. The Congress chief claimed that the Central Government does not appear to have a "clear" idea on how the situation will be managed after May 3, when the ongoing lockdown will end. "A lockdown of the present nature after that date would be even more devastating," she said.Gandhi said that the Congress has repeatedly urged the Prime Minister that there is "no alternative to testing, trace and quarantine programme."

"Unfortunately, testing still remains low and testing kits are still in short supply and of poor quality. PPE kits are being provided to our doctors and healthcare workers but the number and quality is poor," she said. The Congress chief said that farmers are facing serious difficulties. "The issues of weak and unclear procurement policies and disrupted supply chains need to be addressed without delay. Necessary facilities must be made available to the farmers for the next round of Kharif crops which will begin in the coming 2 months," she said.

In a veiled attack against the Centre, Gandhi said: "The states and local governments are the frontline of the battle against COVID-19. Funds legitimately owed to our states have been held back." She accused the BJP of spreading the "virus of communal prejudice and hatred" amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Let me also share with you something that should worry each and every one us Indians. When we should be tackling the coronavirus unitedly, the BJP continues to spread the virus of communal prejudice and hatred. Grave damage is being done to our social harmony. Our party, we will have to work hard to repair that damage," she said. The Congress chief applauded doctors, nurses, paramedics, health workers, sanitation workers and all other essential service providers, NGO and the lakhs of citizens providing relief to the most needy all over India.

Gandhi said that she had written "several times" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after lockdown came into force.

"I offered our constructive cooperation and also made a number of suggestions to alleviate the suffering of both rural and urban families. These suggestions had been formulated on the basis of feedback we have been receiving from different sources, including our Chief Ministers. Unfortunately, they have been acted upon only partially and in a miserly way. The compassion, large-heartedness and alacrity that should be forthcoming from the Central Government is conspicuous by its absence," she said.

The Congress leader asserted that the focus must continue to be on successfully engaging with health, food security and livelihood issues. "The lockdown continues and all sections of our society continue to face acute hardship and distress--particularly our kisans and khet mazdoors, migrant labour, construction workers and workers in the unorganized sector. Trade, commerce and industry have come to a virtual halt and crores of livelihoods have been destroyed," she said.

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Nearly 20 per cent COVID-19 patients have recovered so far in the country, said Lav Agarwa, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday, while the total cases of coronavirus have soared to 21,393.

In last 24 hours 1409 positive cases have been reported, which takes our total confirmed cases to 21,393: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/TVCj5RxGgw

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020

Addressing a press conference here, Agarwal said: "With 1,409 new cases, there are 21,393 positive cases in India now. So far, 4,257 people have recovered including 388 people who recovered yesterday. This takes our recovery percentage to 19.89 per cent."

Agarwal said that as on today, India has 12 districts that did not report a fresh case in the last 28 days or more. "There are now 78 districts in 23 States/UTs, which have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days," he added.

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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray here on Thursday asked the state government to drop 'moral issues' and permit liquor shops and restaurants to resume forthwith to enable it earn badly-needed revenue for its near-empty coffers.

In a letter to his cousin and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the MNS chief said since March 18, the state was in lockdown -- first till March 31, then till April 14 and now extended to May 3 -- with no certainty when it would be lifted.

In such times, there was no harm in keeping this option (wine shops) open since it's not intended to cater to the needs of the alcohol consumers but to start generating income for the government, Raj Thackeray said.

"The excise duty generated for the state via liquor amounts to Rs 41.66 crore daily, or Rs 1,250 crore monthly and Rs 14,000 crore yearly," he said.

In view of the 35 days of lockdown till now and future extensions, the loss of revenue from this sector could be calculated till now and also the future losses that might happen if the shutdown was prolonged, he said.

"It's not that there was a liquor ban in our state and we are asking to remove that. Prior to lockdown, the wine shops were open. The state government should not try to get caught in some moral issues at such a crucial time and take the necessary action," Raj urged Uddhav.

His statement came a couple of days after Health Minister Rajesh Tope made an open-ended statement that there should be no problems in permitting liquor shops, provided they followed social distancing norms.

Taking up cudgels on behalf of restaurants, Raj said big and small eateries were a sheer necessity in Mumbai where millions live on the affordable 'rice plate'. Besides, there are homes that need their services as they don't have the supplies or resources for cooking meals, and the government must consider this category also.

Touching upon other essentials like food, vegetables and fruits, he said while these were open and available, they needed to be organised and coordinated to revive the economic cycle. The MNS said it pertained not just to Maharashtra but also all other states since when and how much central assistance would come was uncertain.

"Let's face the reality and find solutions instead. The need of the hour is to be economically self-reliant and this solution provided needs to be taken seriously," said Raj Thackeray.

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Bhopal: With most establishments downing their shutters in light of the COVID-19 lockdown in Madhya Pradesh, many have lost access to essentials, including hygiene products.

However, a non-profit organisation run by students has come to the rescue of underprivileged women in the slums of Bhopal, by providing them sanitary napkins in these unprecedented times.

A city-based organisation called Manasa distributed at least 3,000 sanitary napkins in slum colonies across the city to help women who could not buy these monthly hygiene products
during the lockdown. "Our group, which primarily consists of students, raised money for poor women. We pooled in Rs 16,000 to buy sanitary napkins," founder of the organisation Janvi Tiwari said.

The 21-year-old got in touch with different agencies and NGOs that were involved in distributing essentials in ghettoes and got them to give away sanitary pads as well. "I realised that women living in slums would find it difficult to purchase sanitary products during the lockdown. I didn't want them to use unhygienic cloth strips that can cause
infections" said Tiwari, who is pursuing a degree in psychology.

With the lockdown in place, the supply of sanitary pads to the city has dwindled and they were trying to access more sanitary napkins for distribution, said Tiwari, who has been working on the issue of menstrual health for the last two years.

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YouTubers in the PUBG Mobile scene in India. Godnixon mostaly famous for his tips & tricks videos where he shows various unique ways in which you can make the best possible use of the area/buildings be it bridges, squad houses, triple storey builds, warehouses and so on. With over 845K subscribers on YouTube and around 60+ million views on his YouTube channel, he is one of the mainstream content creators out there for PUBG Mobile.

Amazed by the quality of content available on his channel, Fnatic India has decided to take GodNixon overboard as their content creator. Is this a move to help the Fnatic PUBG squad perform better than their performance right now with some help from one of the best content creators out there? Or is it just that they want to take a step forward in a positive direction so as to create more opportunities for budding content creators out there?

GodNixon is one of the figureheads of the Indian PUBG Mobile community and was chosen as the country representative for India during PMCO in 2019. In the announcement video, he revealed that at the moment he is stuck in a hotel in Bangalore as the entire country is under lock down and he can’t get back home. As a result, he hasn’t been able to release content as regularly as he would like to. However, he did mention that we can expect a variety of content from both him and Fnatic in the near future.

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