The government on Sunday prohibited the sale of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms during the ongoing lockdown, four days after allowing such companies to sale mobile phones, refrigerators and ready-made garments. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding the non-essential items from sale by the e-commerce companies from the consolidated revised guidelines, which listed the exemption given to the services and people from the purview of the lockdown.

The order said the following clause -- "E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" -- is excluded from the guidelines.

The previous order had said such items were allowed for sale through e-commerce platforms from April 20. However, the reason for reversing the order is not known immediately.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Sunday, addressed the state and said that there are 3,651 coronavirus cases in Maharashtra. While addressing via video message, Thackeray said the state government will allow the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner from April 20.

"The state government is allowing the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner. The industries will have to arrange the accommodation for their workers. They would not travel long distance for work," he said

Suggesting that few districts in Maharashtra have shown decrease in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, CM Uddhav Thackeray said that the districts will be divided into red, orange and green zones. He further highlighted that district borders will remain closed.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/53JPZcmu13

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020

He furthur urged the people with milder syptoms to get themselves checked and not hide their symptoms as 70-75 percent cases in the state are asymptomatic while, 52 percent are in serious conditions.He mentioned that lockdown measures in the state will be relaxed in graded manner.

Thackeray requested the public not to venture out even though the commercial and industrial activities have been allowed to resume.

He issued a helpline on Sunday for those facing mental health issues. Thackeray said: "If you are feeling any mental health issue, do call 1800 120 820050."

Thackeray added that doorstep delivery of newspapers will be prohibited in red zones. He also said that the state government has allowed certain economic activities in orange and green zones. 

"Intra-district movement in green and orange zones may be allowed," said Thackeray.

With inputs from Agencies

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With 1,334 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 15,712 including 507 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Sunday. As many as 2,231 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This equals 14.1 per cent of the total cases," he added.

1334 new #COVID19 cases & 27 deaths have been reported in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 15712 & deaths to 507 in India. No new case reported in Mahe in Puducherry & Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days. Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/YsaMPJOnx5

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

A total of 15,712 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 507 deaths and 2,231 people, who were COVID-19 positive, have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 27 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal. The Joint Secretary said that no new case was reported in Mahe in Puducherry and Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days.

"A total of 54 other districts beside these two in 23 States/Union Territories did not report any cases in the last 14 days," he said. He informed that there are 755 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and 1,389 dedicated health care centres in the country, which takes the total dedicated facilities where severe or critical patients can be treated to 2,144.

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The government on Sunday prohibited e-commerce platforms from selling non-essential items during the lockdown, four days after allowing the companies to sell mobile phones, refrigerators and ready-made garments. Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding the non-essential items from the cart of e-commerce companies.

The order said the following clause — "e-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" — is excluded from the guidelines. Asked why the government made a U-turn on the matter, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, Punya Salila Srivastava said the COVID-19 situation has been very dynamic and the government is taking decisions on a day-to-day basis. When the government has realised that allowing non-essential commodities to sell through e-commerce platforms may affect the proper implementation of the lockdown, the decision was reviewed and reversed, she said at a daily joint briefing on the COVID-19 outbreak. The April 15 order had said e-commerce platforms were allowed to sell such items from April 20.

The reason for reversing the order was not known immediately, but there was a talk of some retail traders mounting pressure on the government that local shops be also allowed to sell non-essentials items, like e-commerce giants. e-commerce platforms, however, are allowed to sell essential commodities such as food, pharmaceutical and medical devices. The previous order said, "Supply of essential goods is allowed, as under: All facilities in the supply chain of essential goods, whether involved in manufacturing, wholesale or retail of such goods through local stores, large brick and mortar stores or e-commerce companies should be allowed to operate, ensuring strict social distancing without any restriction on their timing of opening and closure." A day later, Home Ministry officials said electronic items such as mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators, laptop computers, ready-made garments, stationery items for schoolchildren would be available on the e-commerce platforms from April 20.

Coronavirus maintains its grip on India

Thermal screening of security personnel being conducted as they stand guard on a street in Bhopal, on Sunday. Pic/PTI

. There is no proposal for reduction of pension and no action is being contemplated by the government in this respect, the Centre said on Sunday. The assertion assumes significance as rumours are afloat that the government is contemplating reduction or stoppage of pension.

. The Uttar Pradesh government has removed a second chief medical officer in Gautam Buddh Nagar, a hotspot of Coronavirus, within a fortnight, the health department said. A P Chaturvedi was shunted out late on Saturday and D K Ohri, the principal of Agra's Regional Family Planning Training Centre, was appointed the additional CMO, the department said in an order.

. A one-and-a-half-month-old baby has died of Coronavirus infection at a hospital in Delhi, officials said on Sunday, in perhaps the first fatality of an infant due to COVID-19 in the national capital. The baby died at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital attached to the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College.

. SpiceJet has decided to send employees earning more than '50,000 per month on leave without pay on a rotational basis, sources said on Sunday amid flight services remaining suspended till May 3. This arrangement would be in place for three months, they added. The sources also told PTI that the salary for April is likely to be paid to staff for the days they were on duty.

. As COVID-19 continues its depredation across India and the world, a major row has erupted in West Bengal, with many in the medical fraternity and Opposition parties claiming the state is reporting fewer cases as only a minuscule proportion of the population is getting tested for the inscrutable enemy.

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Seven more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, taking the total number of positive cases to 68, the Health Department said on Monday. Of the seven new cases, five are from the Bhadrak district and two from Balasore district.

"7 new Positive Cases of #Covid19 found in #Odisha. 5 new Positive Cases From Bhadrak. 2 new Positive Cases From Balasore. Total no. of cases detected: 68. Contact tracing and follow up action is being done," tweeted the Information and Public Relations Department.

Following the development, the Bhadrak district administration has notified containment zone in five Gram Panchayats while restrictions have been imposed in Basudevpur and Bhandaripokhari blocks, where the cases were reported.

With this, the number of active cases in the state stands at 43. 24 patients have been cured and discharged while one person died of the disease.

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With 1,553 new cases in 24 hours, the total tally of novel coronavirus cases stood at 17,265 on Monday, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare said.

The health ministry in morning update said that, of the total cases, 14,175 are active cases, with 543 casualties.

"At least 2,546 people have been cured and discharged from the hospital while one person has migrated," said the Ministry, adding "there are at least 77 foreign nationals, affected with the disease.

Maharashtra continued to be the worst hit with 4,203 cases and 223 deaths, followed by Delhi with 2,003 cases and 45 fatalities, Rajasthan (1,478 cases and 14 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (1,477 cases and 15 deaths)

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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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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday, once again addressed the state and spoke about the mob-lynching incident that took place in Palghar. He said that the state government has taken action and has arrested all the accused who attacked the two godmen, one driver and police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/IicTWk6t7w

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 20, 2020

Speaking about things being eased out in green and orange zones, Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown has not been lifted yet. "We have just tried to revolve the wheel of the economy a bit. I have heard that some people are treating the relaxation period as lifting of the lockdown. If they continue to behave in the same manner we'll take strict measures." he said.

Talking about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Uddhav said that it has been six weeks since the first coronavirus positive case was detected in the state.

Uddhav also informed citizens that he spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah over the Palghar mob-lynching case. He also spoke about the steps taken by the Maharashtra state government in order to nab those involved in the crime.

We've suspended 2 policemen&appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons arrested incl 5 main accused. There is nothing communal in this whole incident. I have spoken to Amit Shah ji this morning: Maharashtra CM on Palghar incident https://t.co/ONKnhXzD0s

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

Divulging furthermore into details about the Palghar incident in his speech, Uddhav Thackeray said, "We have suspended two policemen and appointed ADG CID Crime Atulchandra Kulkarni to investigate the matter. Over 100 persons including the five main accused have been arrested so far. There no communal angle in this entire incident," he stated.

With inputs from Agencies

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With 1,553 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 17,265, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Monday.

Since yesterday there have been 1553 additional confirmed #COVID19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/6EKGeIOWOe

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

As many as 2,546 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This takes the cure percentage to 14.75 per cent," he added. "A total of 17,265 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 2,546 people have recovered. A total of 36 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days. "The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he added.

Aggarwal said that the Health Ministry has expressed its views that India wants to work with G20 nations to develop the vaccine to combat COVID-19. He further said that ministry has also issued guidelines regarding precautionary measures to be adhered to in government offices.

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With 466 new COVID-19 cases reported, the total number of positive coronavirus cases have risen to 4,666, said Public Health Department, Maharashtra on Monday.

Of the total tally, 572 patients have been cured and recovered as 65 patients were discharged from hospitals today. With nine new deaths in the state, the death toll rose to 232. The total number of coronavirus positive cases on Monday rose to 17,656 in India, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of these, 14,255 patients are active cases and 2,842 cases have been cured or discharged and migrated. The COVID-19 (/topic/covid-19) toll now stands at 559.

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The COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and violation of lockdown measures risk the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, the Centre said on Monday.

In a communication to state governments, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. These should be stopped, it said.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 543 and the number of cases climbed to 17,265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union health ministry. The situation is "especially serious" in Indore in MP, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the ministry said. There are 4,203 confirmed Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra of which 223 people lost their lives.

In MP, out of the 1,407 cases, 70 people have succumbed to the disease. Rajasthan has reported 1,478 cases of which 14 people died. In West Bengal, there are 339 confirmed cases of which 12 people died due to the infection, according to health ministry data.

UP CM to not attend father's funeral

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's father Anand Bisht died on Monday and will be cremated in Haridwar at a funeral which will not be attended by the CM, who said he is duty-bound to stay in his state. Bisht, 89, was admitted to the gastroenterology dept of the AIIMS after his health deteriorated.

'Flight restrictions to continue'

Restrictions on domestic and international flights will be lifted when the government is confident that spread of Coronavirus has been controlled, and poses no danger to Indians, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday, amidst reports of some airlines doing open bookings.

Pizza delivery boy's contacts test negative

After a pizza delivery boy in South Delhi district tested positive for COVID-19, his 16 high-risk contacts have tested negative for the virus, the administration said. According to B M Mishra, district magistrate (south), no person in the 72 houses, where the boy delivered food, has developed symptoms.

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The family members of at least 25 houses in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises have been asked to isolate themselves after a staffer's relative tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has claimed over 550 lives in India so far. Official sources confirmed the news to IANS on late Monday night.

"A relative of a resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate Quarters died a few days ago. The person who has tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday had attended the funeral," a source in the know of things said.

The individual has been sent to the quarantine centre in the nearby Birla Mandir complex.

The people in the house where the corona-positive person was found, along with the families living in around 25 houses have also been asked to isolate themselves as a precautionary measure. All of them have been instructed to follow social distancing norms strictly, sources said.

According to sources, the staffer's relative who has been found corona positive has no direct connection with Rashtrapati Bhavan. The individual's relative is serving there.

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India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths. Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.

Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives. Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.

Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives. Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, Maharashtra remains the worse affected state with 472 fresh cases of coronavirus as per report in the state till 10 am on April 21. With this, the state tally stands at 4,676 cases with 232 deaths, the highest among all states reported in Maharashtra.

As per the latest report prepared by the Public Health Department analysed by the Medical Educations and Drugs Department of Maharashtra, out of the 472 fresh cases Mumbai reported 308 positive COVID-19 cases and seven deaths.

Data: Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra

While Mumbai comprises the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, places such as Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Kolhapur, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, and Aurangabad among others have reported single digit cases of COVID-19. On the hand, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Malegaon, Pune, Sangli, Solapur, Yavatmal, Buldhana etc have reported coronavirus positive cases in double digit numbers.

Mumbai has 3032 positive COVID-19 cases followed by Pune (594), Thane 134, and Vasai-Virar (107) all reporting COVID-19 cases in three digit numbers. As per the data, with 4676 coronavirus positive cases and 232 deaths, Maharashtra's mortality rate is 4.96 percent with 572 people recovering from the deadly virus.

Another point to be noted is the age wise distribution of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra. The highest number of coronavirus cases has been reported in the age group 21 to 60 years with the highest number of deaths have taken place in the age group of 40 to 70 years. Of the 4,200 positive cases in Maharashtra, 2,529 are males while 1,671 are females.

As of Tuesday morning, Maharashtra has conducetd 75,838 sample test of which government labs have undertaken 38,255 and private labs undertaking 37,583 test for the novel coronavirus. Of 2,560 COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, 84 percent is asymtomatic cases while 14 percent is symptomatic cases with 2 percent of critucal cases of COVID-19.

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Amid complaints about faulty rapid test kits, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday advised states not to use them for the next two days, saying it will issue an advisory after their teams carry out field validation of these equipment. At the daily government briefing on the Coronavirus situation in the country, ICMR's Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar was asked about the faulty rapid testing kits.

"We have received complaint from a state yesterday and so far discussed with three states. Too much variations have been reported in results of rapid test kits and RT-PCR kits. We advise states not to use them for the next two days," he said. "These kits will be tested and validated in the field by our teams. We will issue a clear-cut advisory in two days. If problems are detected in batches, we will tell the companies for replacement," he said.

He said that a total of 4,49,810 samples for COVID-19 infection have been tested till Tuesday of which 35,852 were done on Monday. As many as 29,776 samples have been tested in 201 labs under the ICMR network, and 6,076 at 86 private laboratories, he said.

The Chairman of the 4th Empowered Group (to tackle COVID-19) said that the government has created a portal with the master database of healthcare professionals and volunteers.

"Till now, details of 1.24 crore human resources of various kinds have been added to it," he said. Details of Corona warriors in 20 categories and 49 sub-categories, who can contribute to COVID-19 management efforts, are available to states and union territories on the portal, he said. Lav Agrawal, the joint secretary in the Health Ministry, told the press conference that 18,601 positive cases have been reported across the country so far. As many as 3,252 people have been cured till now, he said, adding 705 of them recovered on Monday. "This takes our recovery percentage to 17.48," he said.

Assaults, arrests and deaths amid COVID-19

Workers wearing protective suits prepare food packets to distribute among needy people arranged by the district administration in Srinagar, on Tuesday Pic/PTI

. In a heart-wrenching incident, a 12-year-old girl collapsed and died of sheer exhaustion after walking for three days continuously covering 100 kilometres from Telangana back home to Chhattisgarh during the national lockdown.

. The TMC on Tuesday dubbed as "adventure tourism" the visit of two central teams to West Bengal for an on-the-spot assessment of the COVID-19 situation, and asked why such delegations were not sent to states with much higher numbers of infections and hotspots.

. A 35-year-old man died allegedly after he was assaulted by the police for violating lockdown norms in Guntur Rural on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Shaikh Mohammed Ghouse.

. The National Fisherfolk Forum (NFF) on Tuesday urged the Central and Tamil Nadu government to take steps to bring back 400 fishermen from the state stranded in Andaman.

. An Allahabad university professor has been arrested along with 29 persons, including 16 foreign participants of Tablighi Jamaat meet at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, an official said on Tuesday.

. The Rajasthan government on Tuesday stopped using the China-made rapid testing kits for Coronavirus after they delivered inaccurate results. The state's health minister, Raghu Sharma said the kits gave only 5.4 per cent accurate results against the expectation of 90 per cent accuracy and therefore the kits were of no benefit.

. Some Infosys techies, spread across the globe, have tested COVID-19 positive, according to the software major on Tuesday.

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With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated. Maharashtra remains the worst-hit State with 5,218 COVID-19 positive cases while Gujarat (2178) and Delhi (2156) are the two next-most affected states.

Maharashtra has reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate among the states. At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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The total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data of state's Public Health Department. The total number of deaths in the state, due to COVID-19, has climbed to 251 after 19 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours

With 1383 new cases and 50 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 19,984, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. The total number of cases include 15,474 active cases and 640 deaths. As many as 3,869 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated.

At a regular media briefing on COVID-19 situation in India, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry on Tuesday, said a total of 3,252 people have been cured of coronavirus in the country so far, including 705 patients who were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery percentage to 17.48 per cent.

Agarwal also said that the ministry has issued detailed guidelines to all the states that while focusing on COVID-19, all other services need to be provided.

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Among the 87 laboratories, which are set up in 15 states, Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 testing labs at 20. It is to mention that Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country in terms of the number of people infected from coronavirus.

Moreover, 12 laboratories are in Telangana, 11 in Delhi, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 7 in Haryana, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Karnataka 4 in Gujarat, and 2 each in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and 1 each in Uttarakhand and Odisha.

The ICMR further said that a total of 4,62,621 samples from 4,47,812 individuals have been tested for COVID 19 as on April 21 at 9 pm. "Also, 26,943 samples have been reported on 21 April till 9 pm," it added.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 20,471on Wednesday, with Maharashtra continuing to be the worst-hit state. Out of the total number of cases, 15,859 are active cases, 3,959 cured or discharged and 652 deaths.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases across the country, with the count at 5,221, followed by Delhi (2,156) and Gujarat (2,272). Maharashtra reported 251 deaths, the highest fatality rate than any other state. Fresh cases were reported today from Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kashmir among other states and UTs.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package'. The funds sanctioned will be utilised in three phases.

While Rs 7,774 crore has been provisioned for immediate COVID-19 emergency response, the rest would be used for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.

Briefing mediapersons about the package here on Wednesday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-19 dedicated treatment facilities, centralised procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient national and state health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks

Javadekar said that no decision has been taken so far regarding the resumption of flight operations. "No decision has been taken yet on the resumption of flight operations. An announcement will be made on time as to when it will resume," Javadekar told reporters.

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With 1,409 new cases and 41 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total number of COVID-19 positive cases reached 21,393 on Thursday, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of cases include 16,454 active cases and 681 deaths. As many as 4,257 people have been cured/discharged so far while one has migrated.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state with 5,652 COVID-19 positive cases so far. The state has reported 269 deaths, the highest fatality rate among the states.

Delhi and Gujarat are the next two worst-hit states with 2,248 and 2,407 COVID-19 positive cases.

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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Amid the total lockdown across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, a heartwarming video of a baby rhino is winning hearts for all the right reasons. In the video, a baby rhino can be seen making efforts to make new friends amid lockdown across the country.

A new friend in the colony👍

Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby’s 1st day out there. pic.twitter.com/Gfa5yxljDV

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 21, 2020

The adorable video was shared by Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda, who is working in Odisha. In the 1 minute 15 seconds clip, the baby rhino, who is accompanied by his mother can be seen making innumerable attempts to make new friends in the forest.

New Kid on the Block... Backstreet Boyshttps://t.co/xfczdLYHx5

— Pankaj Thapliyal (@PankajT04765688) April 21, 2020

As the video moves forward, the baby rhino who is seen loitering around can be seen trying to form friendship with giraffes and fawn as the mother follows him wherever he goes. While sharing the adorable video with his followers, Susanta captioned it saying, "A new friend in the colony. Baby rhino making new friends. Love this adorable baby's first day out there."

Momma Rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way 😊

— Smitha Murthy (@SmithaOne) April 21, 2020

The beautiful video which was shared on Tuesday has garnered over 4,000 views and about 600 likes. The cute and playful video of baby rhino left netizens gushing over the one minute sixteen second clip. One user said, "Woww! What a debut!," while lauding the mother another user commented, "Momma rhino is the coolest. You know she has an eye on the baby at all times but love how she lets it explore in its own way." A third user wrote, "So adorable..."

Woww! What a debut!

— Heena Mehta (@HeenaMe61603627) April 21, 2020

What do you think of the adorable video?

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As and when the present lockdown norms are lifted, over 10,000 private bus owners have decided to inform the Kerala government, that they will not be operating their buses, as strict social distancing norms will leave them reeling in losses. The bus owners points out that even without any such norms, they are incurring heavy losses and with this new scenario, they will be unable to operate.

Hence they will request the Transport Department to keep the buses in the garage and under the G Form application, they will not have to pay the road taxes also, as the buses will not be operating. State Transport Minister A.K.Saseendran said that their concerns are genuine under the new circumstances.

"Since I alone am unable to take a decision, we will bring this before the Chief Minister and the cabinet. This situation would also be applicable to the state-run transport department also. Things are not that easy," said Saseendran.

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With 1,429 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 24,506, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. Out of these, 18,668 patients are active cases and 5063 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 775, with as many as 57 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the morning update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit State with 6,817 cases of which 840 patients have recovered and 301 patients have died. Gujarat now stands in the second spot with 2,815 cases, of which 265 have recovered and 127 people have died. Meanwhile, Delhi's count stands at 2,514 of which 857 patients have recovered, while 53 patients have lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure stands at 1,755 with 866 patients recovered and 22 fatalities. Rajasthan has reported 2,034 cases of which 230 have recovered and 27 patients are dead. Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,852 positive cases so far of which 210 patients have recovered and 92 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as 1,621 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 247 recovered and 25 people have succumbed to it.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 450 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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An intriguing game of counting tigers in a picture has taken the social media by storm. A Twitter user posted a picture of a family of tigers with few other tigers hidden in the background, and asked netizens to spot the exact number of big cats. While few netizens guessed correctly, most were left scratching their heads with the intriguing brain-teaser.

Twitter user @isharmaneer posted the picture with the caption, "How Many Tigers You See In This Pic?" Spotting four tigers in the picture at first glace is relatively easy - two cubs and two adults. But on closer inspection, netizens realised that the big cats have been cleverly morphed in the background.

How Many Tigers You See In This Pic ? pic.twitter.com/GPOvxKYdRc

— EF Neer 🇮🇳 (@isharmaneer) April 22, 2020

The puzzle, that has received over 6,700 likes and 783 retweets, has not just baffled a few celebrities too. Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan commented that he found 11 tigers while actors Dia Mirza, and Prachi Desai said that they were able to spot 16 tigers. 

11 tigers .. https://t.co/s5Sa57G80n

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 23, 2020

16

— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) April 23, 2020

16 🐅

— Prachi Desai (@ItsPrachiDesai) April 23, 2020

According to the Daily Mail, there are 16 tigers in the picture, hiding in plain sight, users commenting on Neer's post claimed that they were able to find up to 20 tigers in the picture. Here are some responses:

Now 18 pic.twitter.com/XohawpPAYf

— Ajay Singh (@Ajay_Singh56) April 23, 2020

16 pic.twitter.com/3GEj6MAe0h

— Ramesh Nadoda 🇮🇳 (@rameshrnadoda) April 23, 2020

16 pic.twitter.com/3GEj6MAe0h

— Ramesh Nadoda 🇮🇳 (@rameshrnadoda) April 23, 2020

18 in one and remaining 2 marked in other. Total 20 pic.twitter.com/VG3z46tt2F

— Ko Ka (@its_KoKaKoKa) April 23, 2020

Amazing exercise to understand the behaviour of Tigers in the wild...Ambush Predators

— Ankit Kumar, IFS (@AnkitKumar_IFS) April 23, 2020

@Ajay_Singh56 agree
18 tigers ðŸ§Â

— Richa Paliwal (@therichapaliwal) April 23, 2020

How many tigers were you able to find?

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Amid the Coronavirus lockdown, there are some people at work trying to make sure people at home stay safe from the pandemic. One of them is police officers, who are working tirelessly to ensure people stay at home and do not get infected by the deadly virus that has already infected millions across the globe and claimed scores of lives.

A photo of two cops catching a wink on the ground has gone viral online. The photo was posted by Twitter by Madhur Verma, the Deputy General of Police, Arunachal Pradesh who also lauded the efforts by the police department amid the nationwide lockdown imposed by the central government.

"Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ? Yes it is... if you  are a cop !” said Verma, adding, “Proud of these #CoronaWarriors"

Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ?
Yes it is... if you are a cop !
Proud of these #CoronaWarriors pic.twitter.com/3H9ZrZupNp

— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) April 24, 2020

The photo posted on Friday garnered over 34,800 liks and was retweeted more than 6,400 times. Users commenting on the photo praised the police department for their efforts amid the lockdown and hailed them as ‘heroes’.

a big salute to true warrior let's always respect nd support them🙏🙏

— Uma j (@sona7777) April 24, 2020

We salute to all police force🙏🌹🙏

— vijay sinha (@vijayv2) April 24, 2020

Do they really deserve to rest on the roads?

I think that appropriate arrangements should be done for them. They too are human beings.

— archie (@TheArchitGaur) April 24, 2020

We need to well equip our police forces . Great work and salute to our forces

— Amit (@askamitsriv) April 24, 2020

Respect 💙

— esther (@EstherVPJC) April 24, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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Business magnate Anand Mahindra is known for sharing posts that showcase innovative techniques that people use to make life easy.  The chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra Group has recently tweeted a video of a man’s e-rickshaw and how it helps practice social distancing amid the Coronavirus outbreak. He praised the idea in his tweet in which he also asks one on his teams to take a leaf from.

The viral video shows an e-rickshaw with a wall that divides the seats in the vehicle making it efficient to accommodate four people. The wall will not allow the customers to have any physical contact with each other, while they ride in the rickshaw. “The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me,” Mahindra writes in the tweet. He tags Rajesh Jejurikar, the Executive Director of Auto and Farm Sectors in Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, and writes, “we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams!”

The capabilities of our people to rapidly innovate & adapt to new circumstances never ceases to amaze me. @rajesh664 we need to get him as an advisor to our R&D & product development teams! pic.twitter.com/ssFZUyvMr9

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 24, 2020

Since shared on Friday, the video has garnered more than 255,200 views with over 34,200 likes and was retweeted more than 7,300 times. The users commenting on the post lauded the creativity behind the vehicle with some asking to introduce a fund for innovators to showcase their talent.

Thats almost a "Quarantine Tuk-Tuk"!!Brilliant!!

— NIRANJANA CHELUR (@MAXCHELUR) April 24, 2020

Necessity is the mother of invention. !!

— Siva Kumar 🇮🇳 (@nakshatrala) April 24, 2020

You should launch a 10year close ended innovation fund. India has abundant innovators if only they could get some support.

— Cold Oatter (@cold_oatter) April 24, 2020

Sir, I am sure all of us would have seen street smart guys/kids through our lives, though they aren't Princeton/Harvard educated..They might not know complex PPT presentation, but they know how to survive challenges!
Glad that you are giving him a platform to showcase his talent!

— ತರà³Âà²²à³Â† 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓂𝓂𝒶 (@BLRrocKS) April 24, 2020

Super 👌👌👌👌

There is no lack of creativity & capabilities in India.

— Krutika Varu 🇮🇳 (@VaruKrutika) April 24, 2020

What do you think about the video?

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When the country is under total lockdown, a picture of two cops is doing the rounds on the internet for all the right reasons. The picture shared by Madhur Verma, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Arunachal Pradesh has gone viral and won the hearts of netizens.

The picture shows two cops sleeping on the road with their helmets and the lathis besides them. The policemen look exhausted after long duty hours and catching up on a well-deserved nap on the footpath when many of us have the luxury to sleep in a comfortable bed within the confines of our homes. 

Take a look at the post 

Isn’t comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury ?
Yes it is... if you are a cop !
Proud of these #CoronaWarriors pic.twitter.com/3H9ZrZupNp

— Madhur Verma (@IPSMadhurVerma) April 24, 2020

DIG  Madhur Verma shared the picture with his 1.18 lakh followers and captioned it: Isn't comfortable bed and an eight hour sleep such a luxury? Yes it is... if you are a cop! Proud of these #CoronaWarriors!

Many users appreciated the efforts of the cops and heaped praises on them.

Indian Police Force,contrary to it's bad reputation, is doing excellent duty in present time of grave fear&crisis.
I hope,they'll continue this good work.

— Mohan Garg (@mohangargg) April 24, 2020

a big salute to true warrior let's always respect nd support them🙏🙏

— Uma j (@sona7777) April 24, 2020

The hard-hitting picture struck a chord with netizens and garnered over 54 thousand likes and over 8 thousand re-tweets. Twitterati took to the comments section of the post to shower praises on the police officers for their selfless service to the nation.

We salute to all police force🙏ðŸÂÂÂÂÂŒ¹ðŸ™

— vijay sinha (@vijayv2) April 24, 2020

One user said, "God bless our corona warriors. Grateful for their selfless and much needed services," while another user said, "A big salute to true warriors. Let's always respect and support them." We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors No Words! 

We can never pay back to these #CoronaWarriors
No Words!https://t.co/wPvHvUMM3J

— पशà¥Âयनà¥Âतà¥Â€ शà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âला 🇮🇳Pushyanti S (@pashyantii) April 24, 2020

India has been under lockdown since March 25 and the frontline workers, including the health workers and the police have risked their lives to serve the nation

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The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country mounted to 26,917 on Sunday evening, the Union Health Ministry stated. Of the total cases, 20,177 are active cases, 5,913 people have recovered, and 826 people have succumbed to the disease.

Maharashtra remained the worst hit state with a total number of cases rising to 7,628, followed by Gujarat which reported 3,071 cases and Delhi which has reported 2,625 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

Besides the trio, other states which have jumped the 1,500 mark are Madhya Pradesh (2,096), Rajasthan (2,083), Tamil Nadu (1,821) and Uttar Pradesh (1,843).

Maharashtra has recorded 323 deaths, the highest number of casualties among all the states. The western state is followed by Gujarat at 133, Madhya Pradesh at 99 and Delhi at 54.

Among other major cities, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,097 and 31 deaths, Bihar stood at 251 cases and two deaths, Haryana at 289 and three deaths, Jammu and Kashmir at 494 cases and six deaths, Karnataka at 501 and 18 deaths and Kerala was docked at 458 and four deaths.

States which have reported less than 10 cases are - Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur, Goa and Arunanchal Pradesh. On the global front, the total number of cases has crossed 2.9 million mark and over two lakh people have died so far.

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The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 872 and the number of cases climbed to 27,892 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 20,835 while 6,184 people were cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals. A total of 46 deaths were reported since Sunday evening of which 19 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 18 from Gujarat, four from Madhya Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Of the 872 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 342 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 103, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 33 and Andhra Pradesh at 31. The death toll reached 29 in Uttar Pradesh, 26 in Telengana, 24 in Tamil Nadu, 20 in West Bengal while Karantaka has reported 19 deaths. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to ministry data. According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 8,068 followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,096 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,868 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,097 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Cases have risen to 649 in West Bengal, 523 in Jammu and Kashmir, 503 in Karnataka, 458 in Kerala, 313 in Punjab and 289 in Haryana. Bihar has reported 274 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 103 cases.Eighty-two people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 50 in Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh has 40 cases, Chhattisgarh has 37 cases and Assam has registered 36 infections each so far. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 33 COVID-19 cases while Chandigarh has 30 cases and Ladakh has reported 20 infections so far. Meghalaya has reported 12 cases, and Goa and Puducherry have seven COVID-19 cases each. Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each. "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website. States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said.

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As many as 1,396 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 27,892 in India, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, here on Monday. He said that a total of 381 people have recovered in the past day and the recovery rate now stands at 22.17 per cent.

Briefing the press here, Agarwal said: "1,396 new positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours, which takes our total confirmed cases to 27,892." "20,835 people are under active medical supervision. 381 patients got cured in the past one day. The total number of cured people is 6,184. Recovery rate has surged to 22.17 per cent," added Agarwal.

"16 districts in the country, which earlier had cases, have not reported any fresh cases for the last 28 days. The three new districts, which got added to this list are -- Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhisarai in Bihar," said Agarwal. Apart from that, 85 districts in States and Union Territories have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days, he said.

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As India battles COVID-19, the corona cases on Monday soared to 28,380 with 1,463 new cases and 60 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, as per the data shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday evening. The total coronavirus cases in India are inclusive of 6,361 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 886 deaths. At present, there are 21,132 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, here on Monday said that 16 districts in the country, which earlier had cases, have not reported any fresh case for the last 28 days. The three new districts, which got added to this list are -- Gondia in Maharashtra, Devangere in Karnataka and Lakhisarai in Bihar. Apart from that, 85 districts in States and Union Territories have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days, he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised the State governments to go for the RT-PCR test, which "detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual." The advisory with the subject line -- 'Advisory on Rapid Antibody Blood Tests Regarding' -- states: "ICMR advocates that RT-PCR throat/nasal swab test is the best use for diagnosis of COVID-19. RT-PCR test detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual."

"Several states have procured rapid antibody test kits and on their demand, the ICMR has also provided these kits with clear instructions that they are to be used only for surveillance purpose. Some States have raised issues regarding their performance during the testing exercise that they have undertaken." The States have also been advised by the ICMR to stop using these kits procured from the two companies -- Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics -- and return them to be sent back to the suppliers.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday also asserted that not a single rupee was lost on rapid antibody test procurement. "After the receipt of some supplies, the ICMR has again conducted quality checks on these kits in field conditions. Based on the scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo) along with the order in respect of another make found under-performing have been cancelled.

It needs to be stressed that ICMR has not made any payment whatsoever in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), the Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," said a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday while interacting with Chief Ministers via video conference on the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

"Lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. He, however, he warned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance.

During the video conference, various Chief Ministers put forth their views and suggestions to contain the coronavirus and mitigate the resultant woes. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy sought an economic package, saying that majority of the Chief Ministers wanted the continuation of the lockdown after May 3 due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

"Most of the Chief Ministers told the Prime Minister that the lockdown should continue and that some economic activity should be started slowly," he said. "These Chief Ministers were of the view that the way in which cases are increasing, there should be a cautious approach and the Prime Minister should take a call on the basis of their observation. Even most of the BJP-ruled states' CMs said that lockdown should be continued and economic activities should be started slowly," said Narayanasamy.

In a significant move, Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde on Monday said that the apex court has given proper directions to the Centre to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during the lockdown.

"We have given proper directions to the Central government to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling and other basic necessities to the needy people during this COVID-19 lockdown," CJI Bobde told reporters here. He said that the judiciary is doing whatever it can at this time of crisis.

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A 25-year-old woman, who was an accused in a murder case, has allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her cell in Tihar Jail, the police said on Tuesday.

According to the police, the woman identified as Parveena hanged herself with her "dupatta" in her cell on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The woman was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where she was declared brought dead by the doctors, the police said.

Praveena, a resident of Delhi, was lodged in Tihar jail number 6 since April 25 in connection with a murder case registered at Chhawla police station.

She, along with her husband, was accused of killing her father-in-law and mother-in-law, after which she had also tried to commit suicide but failed.

An inquest proceeding under Section 176 (inquiry by a magistrate into the cause of death) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is being conducted in connection with the alleged suicide.

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With 1,594 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours and 51 deaths, India's total count of coronavirus cases surged to 29,974, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

1594 new cases and 51 deaths reported in last 24 hours. India's total number of #Coronavirus positive cases rises to 29,974 (including 22010 active cases, 7027 cured/discharged/migrated and 937 deaths): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/XKEarSluZm

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2020

The total cases are inclusive of 7,026 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 937 deaths. At present, there are 22,010 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, said that in the last 28 days, 17 districts have had no new Covid-19 cases. "This means we need to maintain constant vigil," he added.

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New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Tuesday said currently plasma therapy is at the experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for the treatment of the disease.

"ICMR has launched a national-level study to study the efficacy of plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID 19," he said.

"Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life-threatening complications," said Agarwal.

The official said that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases now stands at 10.2 days.
He further said that in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported, taking the total cases to 29,435.

"6,868 COVID-19 patients, which is 23.3 per cent of total cases, have recovered so far," he added.

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After two Sadhus were found murdered in Bulandshahr the Congress has attacked the Chief Minister for deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The murder of the two Sadhus came after a family of five have been found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Prasada in a press statement said, "It's time that the chief minister should step down as law and order situation is worsening day by day."

The Brahmin leader of UP has been accusing the government of targeted killing of Brahmins in the state and said that the government is trying to cover up such cases.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier tweeted that there should be no politics over the killing of sadhus but the Congress leaders have ceased the opportunity to attack the government.

Priyanka Gandhi in her tweet said, "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue."

Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. One of the accused has been arrested by the police.

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India's tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 31,332, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With 73 more deaths reported, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country breached the 1,000 mark and stood at 1,007. The tally is inclusive of 22,629 active coronavirus cases, 7,695 patients who have been cured/discharged and one patient migrated.

According to the Ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 9,318 cases of which, 1,388 patients have been cured/discharged while 400 patients have succumbed to the virus. Gujarat has the second-highest number of positive cases in the country with 3744 cases including 434 patients cured/discharged and 181 deaths.

Delhi's tally stands at 3314 cases of which, 1078 patients have recovered while 54 patients have succumbed to the virus. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2387 positive cases including 377 patients recovered/discharged and 120 fatalities.

Meanwhile, Goa (seven cases; all seven recovered), Arunachal Pradesh (one case; now recovered), Manipur (two cases; both recovered), Tripura (two cases; both recovered) have reported no new cases of COVID-19.

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A 35-year-old police constable on lockdown duty here in Maharashtra was injured after a man allegedly assaulted him and tried to set him ablaze, an official said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Arun Sinh Jadhav, has been arrested, he said. The incident took place near Maloli village in Malshiraj tehsil of Solapur on Tuesday night when the constable was asking people to stay indoors, a duty officer at Velapur police station said.

"At that time, Jadhav came in his car and started abusing the policeman. The accused sought an explanation from the constable as to why he had gone to check his brother's hotel," the official said. Jadhav snatched the policeman's phone and threw it on the road. He then allegedly slashed the constable's left hand and face with a blade and started thrashing him, the official said. "The accused then took out a bottle of petrol from his car and allegedly poured it on the policeman. However, a
police patil (village-level official) and some others caught hold of Jadhav and stopped him from setting the constable on fire," the official said.

The constable, who is attached to Velapur police station, later lodged a police complaint in connection with the incident. The accused was subsequently arrested and booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), the official said.

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The national carrier Air India (AI) has asked its pilots and cabin crew details to prepare to resume operations post lockdown, probably by mid-May this year. An internal mail, accessed by ANI, which was sent to the operation staff, seeks crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations. ANI has accessed an internal mail which was sent to operation staff seeking crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations.

"Dear All concerned, There is a probability to commence 25 per cent to 30 per cent operations post-lockdown in mid-May 2020. You are requested to ensure and provide the following: Total No. of Cockpit / Cabin Crew residing outside municipal limits of the bases," the communication read. Further Air India has also asked the Executive Director (ED) to ensure necessary arrangements and curfew passes for the crew. "Ensure crew transport for all crew at all stations (domestic as well as International). The data at bullet 1 may be provided on priority, to enable this office to intimate ED (Security) to arrange for their curfew pass," the AI letter said.

Recently, the Government of India asked Air India to be on standby for evacuating Indians from the Gulf and other parts of the countries. India has suspended air services since March 25 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 till May 3.

Also in a notification on its website, Air India said, "In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting booking on all domestic & International flights for travel till 03rd May 2020."

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Tasked to ensure the enforcement of lockdown in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the district's Sahibabad Police were on Wednesday surprised when a mother came to the police station complaining that she had sent her son to buy groceries but he returned with his wife.

"I had sent my son to do the grocery shopping today, but when he returned, he came back with his wife. I am not ready to accept this marriage," said the teary-eyed mother. Speaking about the marriage, Guddu, 26-year-old groom, said: "I got married to Savita two months ago at an Arya Samaj Mandir in Haridwar."

"However, we could not get the marriage certificate at that time due to lack of witnesses. I had decided to visit Haridwar again for my marriage certificate but could not do so as the lockdown was imposed," he added. "After returning from Haridwar, Savita stayed at a rented accommodation in Delhi. However, today I decided to bring her to my mother's house as she was told to leave the rented accommodation due to lockdown," said Guddu.

Giving a solution to the family feud, the Sahibabad Police have asked Savita's house owner in Delhi to let the couple stay there during the lockdown period.

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Legendary Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away due to complications arised from cancer on Thursday morning, leaving behind a legacy of almost 50 years in the film industry. Ever since the news of his passing broke, tributes have been pouring in for the actor from the film industry and the political world, where he was remembered as a jovial person.

Prominent politicians have taken to Twitter to express their grief and offer their condolences to the Kapoor family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Jawadekar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among the politicians who offered their condolences on Kapoor’s passing on the micro-blogging site.

Multifaceted, endearing and lively...this was Rishi Kapoor Ji. He was a powerhouse of talent. I will always recall our interactions, even on social media. He was passionate about films and India’s progress. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 30, 2020

This is a terrible week for Indian cinema, with the passing of another legend, actor Rishi Kapoor. A wonderful actor, with a huge fan following across generations, he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans all over the world, at this time of grief.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 30, 2020

Deeply saddened by the sudden demise of actor Rishi Kapoor. He entertained several generations of Indians throughout his career. What a terrible loss.. My condolences to the grieving family. May God bless his soul.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 30, 2020

Saddened by the sudden demise of #RishiKapoor who left a profound imprint on Bollywood by his versatile acting. Have grown up watching many of his films since my student days.
A great loss to the world of creativity.
My sincere condolences!
à¥Â शानà¥Âति!!

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 30, 2020

Saddened to hear about the demise of veteran actor #RishiKapoor. He has been an inspiration for budding actors and will always be remembered for his iconic performances.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. Om Shanti.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 30, 2020

Saddened to hear about the demise of veteran actor #RishiKapoor. He has been an inspiration for budding actors and will always be remembered for his iconic performances.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans. Om Shanti.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 30, 2020

Another film legend passes away... Saddened by Rishi Kapoor’s sudden demise. The film fraternity has lost a gem of an actor who always spoke his mind out. Heartfelt condolences to his family #RishiKapoor pic.twitter.com/0Dvpx8eu09

— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) April 30, 2020

Rishi Kapoor was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday. His notable films as a romantic hero are "Laila Majnu", "Rafoo Chakkar", "Karz", "Chandni", "Heena" and "Saagar". He was, however, more proud of his second innings as an actor, which he found more satisfying. His notable films as a character artiste are "Do Dooni Chaar" with wife Neetu, "Agnipath", "Kapoor & Sons" and "Mulk".

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The number of coronavirus cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra has gone up to 276 as 71 more people have tested positive for the disease, an official from the district administration said on Thursday. Most of the new cases are from the district's Malegaon town, he said. The new patients include six police personnel and three children - aged three months, 5 years and 11 years.

Out of the total 276 cases, 253 have been reported from Malegaon, 10 from Nashik city, 11 from other parts of the district and two patients are from outside the district who are undergoing treatment in hospitals here.

There was no change in the death toll which stood at 12, the official said. Till date, 11 people have recovered from the disease in the district and discharged from hospitals, he added.

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Amid the total lockdown across the country, a viral video of Haryana police is doing the rounds on the internet for all the right reasons. The video shared by IPS officer Pankaj Nain of the Haryana Cadre has gone viral and won the hearts of netizens.

The viral video shows Haryana's Panchkula police surprising a senior citizen on his birthday with a cake amid lockdown across the country. In the one-minute 46 second clip video, a policewoman can heard asking a senior citizen his name as he walks out of his house to answer the question. "My name is Karan Puri. I live alone and I'm a senior citizen,"says the man as he walks towards the front the gate of his house, where cops can be seen waiting for him with a surprise.

Watch the heartwarming video here:

Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude.
But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone.
Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf

— Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020

As the video moves forward, the senior citizens can be seen shocked and surprised as the team of Panchkula police burst out singing 'Happy Birthday' for him. Moved by their sweet gesture, Mr Puri is seen crying his heart out as the cops present him a cake and make him wear a birthday cap.

👏👏👏👏Proud Moment

— Thakur ji (@VatsaYugal) April 28, 2020

Requesting the senior citizen to cut the cake, a police who can be heard consoling Mr Puri said, "Koi baat nahi sir, aapki family hain hum bhi (It's okay, sir, we are your family)." The heartwarming video can be seen ending with the senior citizen wearing a red hat and as he cuts take cake while the cops sing for him.

IPS officer Pankaj Nain shared the video with his 70 thousand followers and captioned it: Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger, anxiety or gratitude. He further said that he has never seen such an overwhelming emotional burst. Officer Nain said that the Panchkula Police made the best birthday ever for this senior citizen who is staying all alone.

I am speechless! 🥺
The look on that man is priceless when the policeman said "hum bhi aapke hi bachhe hai"

— Himanshu Gupta (@himanshu98gupta) April 28, 2020

Since being shared on Twitter, the heartwarming video struck a chord with netizens and garnered over 5,000 views and nearly 1000 likes. Twitterati took to the comments section of the post to shower praises on the Haryana police officers surprising the senior citizen on his birthday amid the COVID-19 crisis in the country.

Really this stole everyone's heart as well as shows picture of our society where senior citizens need love & company of their family.

— Deens Rohilla (@DeensRohilla) April 28, 2020

One user said, "Proud Moment," while another user said, "I am speechless! Pleading face. The look on that man is priceless when the policeman said "hum bhi aapke hi bachhe hai." "This made my dayFolded handsFolded handsFolded hands. A big salute for these policemen," read a third comment.

This made my day🙏🙏🙏
A big salute for these policemen.

— abhi (@abhikatiyar230) April 28, 2020

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, India has been under lockdown since March 25 and the front-line workers, including the health workers, doctors, and the police are risking their lives to serve the nation.

Here's how netizens reacted to the viral video:

Such a cute video 😊
It was all about love and empathy.
I felt so many emotions while watching this video.
Everyone who made it possible deserves appreciation.
Good work !

— Nikita Saini (@NikitaSaini_) April 28, 2020

This is brilliant Policing🙏🏽

— Vikas Kaushik (@kaushikcop) April 28, 2020

One of the best videos you'll get to see. Overwhelming emotions indeed! Well done @CP_PANCHKULA.

— Rakesh Yadav (@Rudra5227) April 28, 2020

In these tough times; let’s gather all such positivity; what a joyous moment; thank you police personnel’s for leading it from the front; by seeing all this we shall come out strongly for sure for a new beginning; way to go....

— Sugreev Kihna (@Kihna) April 28, 2020

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As many as 1,718 COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 33,050 in the country, said the government on Thursday. The total cases are inclusive of 23,651 active cases and 8,324 cured/discharged/migrated ones, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, while addressing media persons here.

1823 new cases and 67 deaths reported in the last 24 hours
The total number of COVID19 positive cases in India rises to 33610 including 24162 active cases, 8373 cured, discharged, migrated and 1075 deaths: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/G0RbjT1ONT

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

Agarwal said: "A total of 1,718 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 33,050." A total of 630 patients have been recovered in the last 24 hours.

As far as testing and treatment protocol is concerned we have to use RTP-CR test only, Agarwal said.

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The current doubling rate for COVID-19 cases has improved to 11 days as against 3.4 days before the lockdown was imposed, while the case fatality has been recorded at 3.2 per cent, the health ministry said. Addressing a press briefing, health ministry Joint Secretary, Lav Agarwal said the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases was found to be between 11-20 days in Delhi, UP, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.

Doubling rate between 20-40 days has been seen in Karnataka, Ladakh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Kerala, he added. In the last 24 hours, 1,718 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, taking the total number to 33,050 in India, he said.

Agarwal further said that the current case fatality rate is 3.2 per cent for COVID-19 in the country, with 65 per cent of it males and 35 per cent females.

No way to withdraw the lockdown: Tripura CM

Dilip Ghosh, Bengal BJP chief

'I was dumbstruck on hearing the CM say that she was not involved in the formation of the death audit committee. The CM says she even doesn't know who all are in the panel. Then who is running the govt? It must be a ghost. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made such a remark'

Biplab Kumar Deb, Tripura chief minister

'We do not find any way to withdraw the lockdown as it is the only viable means to break the chain of the Coronavirus outbreak. It seems we have to continue with the lockdown andwe have to withdraw some restrictions in a phased manner'

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A 68-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Pune on Saturday, taking the total toll to 100 in the district, a health official said. The cause of the patient's death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with coronavirus infection.

"A 68-year-old patient who had tested positive for COVID-19 passes away in Pune. The cause of death is acute respiratory failure due to ARDS with myocarditis with COVID-19 infection. Total death toll in Pune district is now 100," an official said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the total number of COVID-19 cases across the country surged to 37,336, including 26,167 active cases, 9,951 cured/discharged/migrated and 1,218 deaths.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a meeting to deliberate on the issues and reforms required in the agriculture sector. At the meeting, special emphasis was given on reforms in agricultural marketing, management of marketable surplus, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing agriculture sector of various restrictions with appropriate backing of statutes, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India recorded 37,776 confirmed cases and 1,223 deaths on Saturday.

Raj sends 2,400 migrants
Two special trains were started from Jaipur to send around 2,400 stranded students and labourers back to their homes in Bihar and Jharkhand. While one train departed for Ranchi (Jharkhand) from Kota on Friday night, another train left from Jaipur to Patna (Bihar) with about 1,200 labourers
on Saturday.

It was an emotional affair at the railway station where these migrants were given a warm send off by railway officials and other senior personnel who continued clapping as the train left the station. Additional chief secretary Subodh Agarwal, who is also the Chairman of the Committee formed to resolve issues of workers and migrants in the state, said that five special trains will be operated daily from Saturday.

Migrants from Jaipur arrive by 'Shramik Special' train at Danapur junction in Patna on Saturday. Pics/AP AND PTI

He further said that 38,000 labourers and migrants have been sent to their native states so far. These include 27,000 people from Madhya Pradesh, 6,197 from Punjab and 2,387 from Haryana. Apart from this, 25,259 students belonging to several states, including UP and studying in Kota have been sent back to their homes. On Friday, around 200 students of Odisha were sent to home in eight buses.

Need 400 trains: Kerala CS
Kerala Chief secretary Tom Jose on Saturday said it might take about a month to send back all the migrant labourers who are in the state presently. "On Friday night the first train left, on Saturday there are more trains and on Sunday even more. It might take a month and about 300 to 400 trains to send back all the migrant workers who are here," said Jose.

On Friday night around 10.30 pm, the first train with 1,148 migrant labourers left from Aluva to Bhubaneswar. Since the lockdown began in March, 3,61,190 migrant labourers have been put up across 20,826 camps in Kerala, the State labour department said on Saturday.

Odisha turns to K'taka, AP
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Saturday, took up the safe return of Odia migrants with BS Yediyurappa and YS Jaganmohan Reddy, his counterparts in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, respectively. Patnaik interacted with them separately through video link. While thanking them for taking care of Odia migrants, the Chief Minister requested their cooperation for their safe return.

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Delhi Police has started investigation in a sedition case against Delhi Minority Commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan for his provocative remarks on social media. Delhi Police Special Cell registered an FIR on the complaint of a Vasant Kunj resident. The complaint came to the Lodhi Colony office of the special cell, after the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Safdarjung Enclave forwarded it.

Khan on April 28 had posted controversial comments on his Facebook page. "Mind you, bigots, Indian Muslims have opted until now not to complain to the Arab and Muslim world about your hate campaigns and lynchings and riots. The day they are pushed to do that, bigots will face an avalanche," Khan had written.

However, the Commission said that "no action can be taken against the chief of the Delhi Minorities Commission—a quasi judicial body—as per the Commission's Act". "No civil, criminal or other legal proceedings shall be taken against the Chairperson, Members or officers performing functions under this Act, or under authority of the Commission, in respect of anything which is done in good faith or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act by or under the authority of the Commission," the Delhi Minorities Commission Act says.

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Five persons have been injured in a series of attacks by a tiger in the Jari village near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh. The tiger also attempted to attack a forest department team that was called in to push it back into the wild. Two persons were injured in this attack. According to the victims, the incident first took place on Friday when the tiger attacked two brothers -- Gurpreet Singh and Hardeep Singh of village Jari -- when they were on way to their agricultural field on their motorcycle. They had a close shave but managed to flee by speeding away on their motorbike.

A few minutes later, the tiger pounced at Ram Bahadur, a cyclist, and injured him. The big cat left him as it was distracted by the noise of the bike's engine and horn blown by the two brothers. Within 10 minutes, the tiger again pounced on two commuters, Ujagar Singh and his aide Lalta Prasad of Lalpur village. They sustained serious claw injuries on their heads and shoulders. As they started to scream and brandished the rod they were carrying, the tiger abandoned them and disappeared into the nearby shrubs.

The PTR Deputy Director Naveen Khandelwal said the tiger also charged at the forest staff when they tried to push it back towards the jungle. "The operation was suspended on Friday afternoon and will be resumed depending upon the suitability of the ground conditions as we do not want to tranquilize the tiger. For the safety and security of villagers, the forest teams will keep monitoring the big cat's movement till the time it retreats into the forest," Khandelwal said.

On Saturday, the forest team lay in wait for the tiger but it did not make an appearance. The local residents have been advised to remain indoors and to move in groups, only if necessary.

The victims would be given financial compensation, the official added.

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Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa requested his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray to release six TMC water from his state's reservoirs to rivers in Karnataka to meet acute drinking water shortage in North Karnataka. Yediyurappa pointed out that the North Karnataka districts, namely Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Yadagiri and Raichur are facing acute shortage of drinking water due to onset of summer during early days of March this year.

"I request you to kindly direct the concerned authorities to release 3 TMC of water from Warna/Koyna reservoirs to Krishna river and 3 TMC of water from Ujjaini reservoir to Bhima river on humanitarian grounds for drinking purpose," Yediyurappa said in his letter.

He reminded Thackeray that even in the past the Maharashtra government had released water from its reservoirs to meet the drinking water needs of both human beings and livestock in drought-affected areas of Karnataka.

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