Terming the Covid-19 crisis as a wake-up call, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Group, on Monday slammed the housing policies under which slums are moved from one location to the another.

Speaking at a webinar, Tata said, "For the first time, the close proximity and low value structures that we have built are the cause of new problems. The last few months have taught us that we're suffering from close proximity".

"The corona issue is a wake-up call of what beholds us and what our concern is as it turns around us and holds us back. I think there should be a re-examination of what we consider to have acceptable standards in terms of quality of life. Perhaps there ought to be a revision in terms of the fact that we are dealing with communities, we're dealing with populations that need to be a part of new India," he underlined.

On the issue of slums being relocated, Ratan Tata said, "We just go to affordable housing, slum elimination. We're trying to remove slums by moving them to another location, high value housing is being put over there. Slums are the residue; we're building a vertical slum.

"For the first time, the close proximity, low value structures that we have built are the cause of new problems. The last few months have taught us that we're suffering from close proximity. We have the image we want to project of ourselves and there's a part we want to hide. We have social responsibilities as architects and builders."

He further said: "We are creating a community which we're ashamed of. We should be really driven by the desire of creating, it creates a world culture.

"I think the happenings of the last few months have should have been a wake-up call for us. We have been humbled to realise that a disease could run across the globe, totally changing the dimension of how we are and what we do."

"I think we have to consider this issue as being our problem, and not their problem. We need to concern ourselves with the quality of lives everywhere. We need to ask ourselves, are we ashamed of what we see or proud of what we see'. We need to consider urban communities as one," he said.

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Chandigarh: She is close to turn into a centenarian but the coronavirus pandemic makes her a 'warrior'. She is stitching face masks for the people on the streets to battle it out.

She is 98-year-old Gurdev Kaur from Moga town in Punjab.

"We are making face masks and distributing among the passersby free of cost, wizened Gurdev Kaur said in a video shared by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Twitter on Tuesday.

Her bleak vision is not letting her down, she said her daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and her entire family are involved in sewing masks for a cause.

"We all love to do a charity and do it as much as possible," she said, while appealing to the people to follow lockdown norms and help one another.

"Take precaution to prevent oneself from this disease. They (government functionaries) also advise us to prevent yourself as much as possible by staying at home," she said, who daily wants to work daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"I have no vision in one eye and the second eye had cataract surgery 25 years ago but the vision in that eye is very good," she said.

Appreciating her gesture, the Chief Minister said in a tweet: "The strongest corona warrior of Punjab is 98-year-old Gurdev Kaur from Moga who with her family is stitching masks for Punjab.

"Such selfless dedication of Punjabis is proof of how strong we are and that we will overcome any challenge which comes our way."

All over Punjab, people are making handmade face masks to help shield doctors, nurses and many others from the coronavirus.

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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A migrant couple from Rajasthan's Alwar, who got stranded in Tripura, have named their newborn boy 'Lockdown'. The couple Sanjay Bauri and his wife Manju Bauri sell plastic wares and keep travelling to various states to earn money. They visit Tripura for six months every year to sell cheap plastic wares. The government officials suggested to name him 'lockdown' as he was born on April 13 during the lockdown.

"The baby is fine. We are getting food from the administration. He is fine. As he was born during the lockdown, we have decided to name him lockdown," the father of the newborn told ANI. "The government is helping us a lot and taking care of our child. They also ensured the safe delivery of my son. But we would be happier if we return to back to Rajasthan as soon as possible," Manju said.

Besides them, 13 other migrant families are living there in Badharghat.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper scam accused, on the ground that his petition "did not fall in the criteria for grant of relief". A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice B R Gavai dismissed the bail application of Christian Michel. Michel, in his bail application, stated that he is aged 59 years, and has a history of bad health which will make him easy prey to any Corona outbreak in the Tihar jail in Delhi and thereby he be released on bail.

"We don't find any merit in the petition filed by the accused, petitioner in the case. We, thereby, dismiss the same," Justice Kaul observed. The apex court did not consider his prayers and upheld the Delhi High Court order that his case did not fall in the criteria for grant of relief. The accused, a 59-year-old British National, Michel is currently lodged in Tihar jail for his alleged involvement in the Augusta Westland VVIP chopper scam case.

Michel had moved the Apex Court after the Delhi High Court had rejected his bail application. Michel was extradited from Dubai in 2018 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with alleged irregularities in the chopper deal. While the CBI is probing his alleged role as a middleman in the deal, the ED is investigating money laundering charges against him.

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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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This year has brought so many firsts and new experiences and this year’s Earth Day, April 22, will certainly be among them. While people can’t get outside and participate in the same outdoor and collective experiences in person, they are celebrating the Earth on Twitter this year.

 The conversation on Twitter has spiked 285% around the discussion of 'action' and 'innovation' in sustainability and there have been more than 1 million Tweets tying this period of COVID-19  to impacts on the environment and 20 million unique Tweets about the environment since last Earth Day.

Ahead of Earth Day, Twitter has launched a new #EarthDay2020 emoji to encourage environmental conversations. To commemorate the 50th Earth Day, Twitter India (@TwitterIndia), Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) and Earth Day Network (@EarthDay_India) are partnering for #FightForFifty: a campaign that highlights 50 years of Earth Day and gives a common platform to 50 crowdsourced steps that we can take in our daily life to combat climate change and live sustainably.

Noted environmental activists and celebrities are joining the environmental conversation.

 Actress Dia Mirza (@deespeak) and singer-actor Monica Dogra (@MonicaSDogra) too participated in a Live Twitter Panel on April 21, 2020, to talk about 50 years of #EarthDay2020 and climate action. You can also watch the chat from last night to take a few points that Dia Mirza (@deepspeak) has advised for sustainable living #EarthDay.

This #EarthDay , join us for #FiftyForFifty Live with @deespeak, @MonicaSDogra, @EarthDay_India and @Tamseel_h to discuss what each one of us can do to save the planet. https://t.co/vkSUXPQ90o

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) April 21, 2020

A small step for sustainability 🌱
Our planet is a lot more beautiful when it's green.
Let's keep it that way...#EarthDay2020#StayAtHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/BxKdEMsFqP

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) April 22, 2020

When you realize “Heart” and Earth are spelt with the same letters, it all starts to make sense! Happy 50th #EarthDay!

#EarthDay2020 #WorldEarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/bUs68xpOON

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) April 22, 2020

Nature is healing: Of late, as the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping people indoors, reduced industrial and human activities have led to the rejuvenation of nature. Twitter has been witnessing volumes of discussions around how the lockdown has given the environment a chance to revive its lost glory.

This #EarthDay, we are sharing with you a few pictures of guests from the wild coming out on the streets of India during the COVID19 lockdown. This includes a special visit by two peahens to the house of the U.S. Ambassador to India as well! #EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/F9hD46YX0k

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 22, 2020

Earth is healing by itself.
#EarthDay #EarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome
Shot with @Sony @SonyAlpha @sony_india 77 Mark 2.
Post Processing: @SkylumSoftware pic.twitter.com/kUmePoP5x8

— Madhusudhan Reddy (@imMadhu1) April 22, 2020

Tweet, Tweet! It’s a bird: While people continue to spend time at home, they are taking up #BalconyBirding and reading books on nature.

I could speak to you about the importance of a single tree, but I will show you instead.

Flowering Neem tree, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/F2CMXGvLPN

— Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) April 20, 2020

Last evening’s #balconybirding helped me make these photos, with a stunning sunset in the backdrop!

Parakeets, a kite and a crow, and an egret?

Nature is beautiful, even in cities! 🌇ðŸ¦Âœ#BirdWatching @sonyalpha pic.twitter.com/uh2lYLCvCS

— Isha (@ishaachitnis) April 20, 2020

Feed the #birds and they'll feed your soul with a look of gratitude.🥰🥰

Let's not forget to keep water & food for them in our balcony/terrace.

Celebrate #EarthDayAtHome by watching beautiful birds & squirrels enjoying their meal.

I enjoy this everyday.😇#EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/4XyfAPizr0

— Manu Gulati (@ManuGulati11) April 22, 2020

Reading Nature (@ReadingNature), a book club on Twitter, asked its followers to talk about their favourite #naturebooks on #EarthDay, and people are sharing some interesting reads through videos.

For #EarthDay, we asked you to tell us about the #nature books📚you have loved over the years & WOW! We are thrilled to share your stories thru the day!
We begin with Editor Scissorhands @bijal_v (who gave us the idea for this #thread) reading us some delightful kid-lit (1/n) pic.twitter.com/bwMtvu0r7p

— ReadingNature (@ReadingNature) April 22, 2020

To bring out more focused conversations on sustainability, Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) has also launched three #FiftyForFifty Twitter Lists on topics like Balcony Birders, Climate Activists and Sustainable Fashion. A Twitter List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List, usually around a particular topic of your choice.

Organisations such as the UNESCO MGIEP (@UNESCO_MGIEP), WWF India (@WWFINDIA) and Earth Day Network India (@EarthDay_IN) are organising virtual concerts with performances from the finest musicians as a tribute to the Earth.

SOUND ON 🔊

What better way to kick off this #EarthDay2020 than listening to @EarthDay_India's Ambassador, Dr. L Subramanium's "Earth song".#EarthDay #EarthSong pic.twitter.com/XTOKG7Iae7

— Earth Day Network (@EarthDayNetwork) April 22, 2020

Celebrate this 50th #EarthDay & #ShineYourLight with
🎼5 Grammy Award Winners
🎵40+ artists
🎧With @rickykej @baabamaal @ElsieLaura @wouterkellerman @VishwaMBhatt1 @LonniePark
🗓ï¸Â Wed. 22 April
⏰8:00 pm IST

RSVP your attendance now:https://t.co/k65HTgKft4 pic.twitter.com/gqEuQAehLT

— WWF India (@WWFINDIA) April 19, 2020

Let’s come together this #EarthDay to pledge our solidarity to the planet and collectively work for sustainability.

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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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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, there is heartwarming news for tiger conservationists and animal lovers across the country. On April 18, a tigress at Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park gave birth to three cubs amid the total lockdown in the country.

In this #Corona-filled gloomy environment heartening news coming from #BhagwanBirsaZoo,Jharkhand where a Tigress has given birth to three cubs .Congratulations to all the Zoo Officials and staffs of Bhagwan Birsa Zoo,Ranchi. @HemantSorenJMM @Forest_Dept_GOJ pic.twitter.com/TYeg3qFeYv

— IFS Association (@CentralIfs) April 21, 2020

After the birth of the three cubs, Ranchi's Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park which is also known as Birsa zoo has now emerged as the new tiger breeding centre in India. The Birsa zoo's celebrated tiger couple, Mallik and Anushka, have given a boost to the 'Save Tiger' campaign with the birth of their three new cubs.

A heartwarming video of the new cubs was shared by Twitter user Indian Forest Service Association with the caption, "In this corona-filled gloomy environment heartening news coming from Bhagwan Birsa Zoo, Jharkhand where a Tigress has given birth to three cubs .Congratulations to all the Zoo Officials and staffs of Bhagwan Birsa Zoo, Ranchi."

Tiger Mallik and tigress Anushka were brougt to Ranchi's Birsa Zoo from Hyderabad's Nehru Zoological Park in March 2016. While speaking to Hindustan Times zoo veterinarian Dr Ajay Kumar said, "The tigress is showing normal maternal care patterns and the cubs are in good health."

With the birth of the new cubs, the total number of tiger population at Birsa zoo has gone up to 10. Although the zoo has been currently closed due to the coronavirus crisis, once re-opened, the three new cubs will not be available for public viewing for a period of three months.

The Birsa zoo authority has taken extra precautionary measures in order to ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere for the three new born cubs. Kumar further said, "No one is allowed to enter the tigress' cage. The cubs were kept in nursery and their health and activities are being monitored through CCTV cameras installed there."

The vet further said that vaccination to the three cubs would be started only after three months, "The mother tigress is feeding well to all three cubs. Mother and her cubs are healthy," Dr. Kumar said.

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A total of 64 police personnel in Maharashtra have been found coronavirus positive till now, the state police said here on Wednesday. According to Maharashtra Police, "12 police officers and 52 policemen have been found coronavirus positive in the state till now."

As per the data, 62,987 cases have been registered under Section 188 of IPC for violating lockdown from March 22 till April 22. The number of persons found by police violating quarantine measures is 595. "477 accused have been arrested in cases of assault on policemen. The total number of incidents on assault on police are 134.

13,869 people have been arrested since March 22 till 4 am today for violation during coronavirus lockdown, the police said. A total of 44,135 vehicles have been seized.

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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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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a video conference with the chief ministers of all the states on April 27 over the COVID)-19 crisis. The Prime Minister has held two such interactions earlier with the chief ministers over the coronavirus situation and lockdown imposed to prevent its spread.

Before the lockdown was announced on March 24, the prime minister had interacted with the chief ministers on March 20 to discuss the means to check the spread of the deadly virus. In his last such interaction with the CMs, Modi had thanked the states for supporting the decision of the 21-day nationwide lockdown and praised how all the states have worked together as a team to check the spread of the virus.

The lockdown which was initially meant for 21-days was later extended till May 3 by the government. Meanwhile, the total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country rose to 19,984, including 15,474 active cases.

So far, 3,869 patients have been cured and discharged while 640 deaths have been recorded, as per the data provided by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called off its proposed 'White Alert' and 'Black Day' protests scheduled on April 22 and 23 following a meeting with Home Minister, Amit Shah through video conference on Wednesday.

The doctors' body has been demanding that the Centre bring a law to protect healthcare workers from rising attacks at a time when they are battling COVID-19. According to a statement by the IMA, the home minister lauded the medical community for their work. He said the safety and security of doctors and other health care workers was his great concern, the doctors' body said.

"He (Union home minister) also assured IMA of a Central Law against violence. He appealed on behalf of the PM to defer the symbolic protest. In view of the assurances given from the highest authorities of the government, the IMA calls of the protest. White Alert on April 22 and Black Day on April 23 stand cancelled. We thank all our members for their unprecedented solidarity and support," the doctors' body said in a statement.

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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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After four people recovered from COVID-19 in Moga, the district has become coronavirus free, informed KBS Sidhu, Special Chief Secretary, Punjab on Thursday. "There were 4 Corona positive cases who were kept in isolation for 14 days. Now, they have been tested twice and are now negative. District Moga is COVID-free now," the official tweeted.

"They are all TJ's and belong to Maharashtra--14 in all. They will be kept in Deaddiction and Rehabilitation Centre at Village Janer, which is closed now. This one is totally away from habitation. No one will object. Once the Inter-State borders open, they will be sent back," he said in another tweet.

According to the Health Ministry, Punjab so far has recorded 251 cases of coronavirus, out of which 49 have been cured and 16 have lost their lives.

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Sikar (Rajasthan): Quarantined in two schools in Rajasthan's Sikar district - a group of migrant labourers have added colour to their temporary abode by painting the chipped walls of the institutions.

About 54 workers from Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh quarantined in the Shaheed Sitaram Kumawat and Seth KL Tambi Government Higher Secondary schools in Palsana town wanted to express their gratitude for the arrangements made for them in quarantine.
Migrant workers have been quarantined at separate places across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Palsana Sarpanch Roop Singh Shekhawat said that in response to the good care taken of them at the quarantine centres migrant workers wanted to express their gratitude. Wall paint and other necessary items were made available to them, which they used to give a makeover to the schools.

"The entire village is overwhelmed by their behaviour. All these people are perfectly healthy and their quarantine time is also over. It is joyful to see the constructive work done by the workers who have used the quarantine period beautifully," Shekhawat said.
Jagat Singh Panwar, secretary of district legal services authority who had visited the centre and met the workers, praised the workers for taking the initiative.

Now here is a positive story. Migrant labours from MP & Gujarat were quarantined at Palsana, Sikar. As a gesture they offered to colour the school since were getting food etc from there. Sarapanch arranged material. People are beautiful & inspiring. pic.twitter.com/1ncjTJGKA0

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 22, 2020

The principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Palsana, Rajendra Meena said the school premises were not white-washed from the last nine years.

All the teachers agreed to the offer funds from their salaries, which was used to purchase paint and other necessary items and migrant workers staying here happily took the task without taking any money.

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A 92-year-old wheelchair-bound woman here tested negative for coronavirus after completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. The nonagenarian had suffered a paralysis attack seven months ago. She, along with her four other family members, tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to Symbiosis Hospital in Lavale in the first week of April.

"A 92-year-old woman who suffered a stroke recently and is paralysed from the left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for COVID-19. Age is a factor but it does not mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die," Dr Vijay Natrajan, CEO of Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre, Pune told ANI.

A 92-year-old woman who suffered stroke recently&is paralysed from left side down, recovered 14 days after she tested positive for #COVID19. Age is a factor but it doesn't mean anyone who gets the virus is going to die:Dr Vijay Natrajan,CEO of SUHRC,Pune #Maharashtra (22.04.2020) pic.twitter.com/vNkr7oDayj

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2020

According to doctors at the hospital, the recovery of the woman indicates that even senior citizens can recover from the virus.

"She has no symptoms of COVID-19. However, she had suffered a stroke and one side of her body got paralysed. During her stay here, we checked all her health parameters," Natrajan said.

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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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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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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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Tata Trusts has begun a pan-India community outreach to induce adoption of health practices, as promoted by the Government of India, in rural areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Beginning March 31, the exercise is expected to have already reached about 12 million people in 21 states.

The campaign '5 Kadam, Corona Mukt Jeevan', ranges from video messages in the country's languages, even dialects, short animation videos and infographics to audio messages, and SMS based messaging.

For wider deployment by any interested organisation, the Trusts have made publicly available through social media about 300 such videos and audio messages, in different languages, and dialects like Dongri, Kumaoni, Ladakhi, Garhwali, Santhali, Mundari, Kutchi (Gujarat) and Koborok (Tripura). All of them are available in the playlist here.

Over 70 celebrities from all over India, have lent their support with video and audio messages. Among them are Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Harbhajan Singh, Ila Arun, Atul Kulkarni, Malini Awasthi, and Sanju Samson for Rajasthan Royals, to name a few.

The Trusts have deployed more than 430 master trainers in these 21 states who in turn have trained a pool of over 8,700 community resource persons (village volunteers) to deliver the message till the last mile.

Through the existing network of the Trusts' programmes, the volunteers, associate organisations of the Trusts, community radios, village-based public address systems, and use of various internet and communication technologies, the programme is expected to have reached out to about 12 million people till date.

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In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, government on Thursday decided to freeze payment of additional instalment of dearness allowance (DA) to the Central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners falling due from January 1, 2020.

The decision comes after the Union Cabinet on March 14 approved a four per cent hike in DA to 21 per cent in a bonanza for 1.13 crore Central government employees and pensioners applicable from January, 2020 costing the exchequer Rs 14,595 crore.

In an office memorandum, department of expenditure, ministry of finance said that additional instalment of DA and DR falling due from July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 will also not be paid. However, the allowance will continue to be paid at current rates.

The Central government employees will also not get any arrears in any future revision of DA/DR from from July 1, 2021. However, If a decision to revise DA rates is taken for July 1, 2021 period, the rate of allowance as effective from January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020 and January 1, 2021 will be restored prospectively and will be subsumed in the cumulative revised rates effective from July 1, 2021, the office memorandum said.

Though the government did not give an estimate of how much it would save by disallowing DA revision for its employees, a four per cent raise approved by cabinet last month meant additional expenditure of around Rs 15,000 crore. For three half yearly periods, going by this yardstick, would result in savings of close to Rs 45,000 for the Centre.

Any change in DA rates benefits about 48 lakh Central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners. DA is paid by the government to its employees as well as pensioners to offset the impact of inflation.

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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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The number of coronavirus patients in the country has crossed the 23,000-mark. So far, 23,077 people have been found infected by COVID-19. Of these 17,610 cases are still active while a total of 4,748 have recovered. According to the Union Health Ministry report, 718 people have died across the country till Friday morning.

According to the Ministry, 22 people in Andaman and Nicobar have so far tested positive for the virus, of whom 11 have been discharged after treatment. Meanwhile, the number of victims in Andhra Pradesh have reached 895, out of which 141 have been discharged while 27 have died. Only one case has been reported in Arunachal Pradesh, while 36 people have been reported to be suffering from the disease in Assam. Of these, 19 have been discharged and one has died.

The number of cases has also increased in Bihar. A total of 153 cases have been reported here out of which 46 have been discharged while 2 have died. There were 27 cases in Chandigarh and 14 of these have been discharged. In Chhattisgarh, 36 cases have been reported and 28 of them have been cured and discharged.

In Delhi, the number of COVID patients is constantly increasing. According to the Ministry, 2,376 people have been found coronavirus infected with 808 discharged from the hospital. The death toll here is 50.

Interestingly, Goa still remains the Corona Free State of the country where seven people who were found to have contracted the virus have been discharged from the hospital.

Gujarat has also witnessed an increase in the cases. A total of 2,624 people are said to be suffering here, of which 258 people have been discharged while 112 lost their lives.

There are 272 coronavirus cases in Haryana, of which 156 have been discharged, while three have died. The number of people suffering from the disease has increased to 40 in Himachal, where 18 were discharged and one has died. The figure has reached 427 in Jammu and Kashmir with 92 discharged from the hospital and five deaths. In Jharkhand, the number of victims remains 53, while three people have died.

In Karnataka, 445 people are reported to be suffering from the virus, out of which 145 have been discharged from hospital after treatment and 17 have died. A total of 447 cases have been reported in Kerala with 324 were discharged and three deaths. There were 18 cases in Ladakh and 14 have been discharged.

According to the Ministry of Health in Madhya Pradesh, the number of corona victims has increased rapidly. According to the Ministry's report released, 1,699 people have been reported to be suffering from this virus till Friday morning, out of which 203 have been discharged from the hospital while 83 have died.

Maharashtra still remains at the top of the COVID chart in the country with 6,430 people reporting positive for the virus, of whom 840 have been discharged from the hospital, while so far 283 have died.

Only two cases were reported in Manipur, 12 in Meghalaya, one in Mizoram. Out of 90 infected people in Odisha, 33 have been discharged and one death was reported. Only 7 cases have been reported in Puducherry, out of which three have been discharged.

As of Friday morning, 277 corona-infected people are reported to have been discharged in Punjab, 16 have died. In Rajasthan COVID figure has reached 1,964 so far, out of which 230 people have been discharged from the hospital and 27 have died.

In Tamil Nadu, 1,683 people suffer from the virus. A total of 752 people have been discharged from the hospital while 20 have died. The figure has reached 960 in Telangana with 197 discharged and 24 deaths.

Only two cases have been reported in Tripura. In Uttarakhand, 24 of 47 cases have been discharged. So far, 1,510 people have been reported to be suffering from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, of which 206 people have been discharged from hospital after treatment while 24 have died. Till Friday morning, 514 cases were reported in West Bengal with 103 discharged and 15 deaths.

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The government said on Thursday that it has been able to "cut Coronavirus transmission", minimise its spread and increase the doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the country during the 30-day period of the nationwide lockdown. While asserting that the growth of Coronavirus cases in the country has been more or less linear and not exponential, it also said testing has been ramped up consistently. Addressing a daily press conference on the COVID-19 situation in the country, C K Mishra, chairman of Empowered Group Two, said, "One crucial weapon we employed during the 30-day lockdown period is RT-PCR test to ascertain if one has contracted the disease or not."

As on March 23, nearly 15,000 tests were done across the country and by April 22 more than 5 lakh tests were conducted, which is about "33 times in 30 days", he said, adding, "But we are conscious of the fact that this is not enough and we have to continuously ramp up testing in the country and we will do that." Of the empowered groups formed to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people once the lockdown is lifted, Mishra is the chairman of Empowered Group Two tasked with coordinating availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities, disease surveillance, testing and critical care training.

"The growth of COVID-19 cases has been more or less linear, not exponential; this indicates that the strategies we adopted have succeeded in containing the infection to a particular level. Post imposition of lockdown, while the number of new positive cases has increased by 16 times, testing increased by 24 times," Mishra said in his presentation.

Finance ministry puts DA, DR on hold

The finance ministry has decided to put on hold increment in dearness allowance (DA) for 50 lakh central government employees and 61 lakh pensioners till July 2021. "Additional installment of DA payable to central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid," it said.

India fights the virus as lockdown continues

Cong blames Centre: The chief ministers of Congress-ruled states on Thursday hit out at the central government for not providing financial assistance to them, asking how the country would win the battle against COVID-19 in this time of crisis. The chief ministers of Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry demanded a financial package for the states to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pay cut rolled back: IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta told employees on Thursday that the airline has decided to roll back the pay cuts, which were announced earlier for senior staff members, for the month of April in deference to the “government’s wishes”. “However, your Excom (Executive Committee) members and SVPs (senior vice presidents) have volunteered to take pay cuts this month. For everyone else, you can expect your April salaries to be paid without the pay cuts,” Dutta told employees through an email.

K’taka relaxes lockdown: Partial relaxation in the extended lockdown has begun across Karnataka, excluding Coronavirus hotspots and containment areas, according to an official here on Thursday. “As notified, the 19-day extended lockdown has been partially relaxed to mitigate hardship to the people and revive the economic activity to sustain growth,” the official said.

Pool testing: Even though Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh has been declared Corona-free, the district administration is taking no chances regarding the deadly virus. The Bareilly health department has deployed a mobile medical unit in crowded localities of the city to collect “pool” samples for random COVID-19 testing of vegetable and fruit vendors, hawkers, chemists, etc.

‘Don’t hold iftars’: The Association of All Goa Muslim Jamaats on Thursday issued a pre-Ramzan advisory urging Muslims in the state not to organise community iftars and pray for frontline health workers, police and those involved in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exit strategy: The Congress Working Committee in its meeting, held virtually, on Thursday demanded that the remaining period of the lockdown should be used to prepare and publish a detailed exit strategy and a comprehensive road map for the future.

04
No. of cops in Bengal injured in clash with villagers

686
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

5L
Total no. of samples that have been tested till now

34
No. of Bhopal cops who have tested COVID-19 positive

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A four-month-old baby girl, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and suffering from congenital heart disease, died in a hospital here on Friday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest, officials said.

The baby was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here on Apr 21 with history of fever, cough, breathing difficulties and seizure and the end came at 6 am, a medical bulletin said.

She hailed from Payyanad at Manjeri in Malappuram District.

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Hyderabad: In a humanitarian gesture, a police officer in Hyderabad paid Rs 20,000 from his pocket for the emergency surgery of a man from Himachal Pradesh who got stranded here due to the lockdown.

B.L. Laxminarayan Reddy, inspector and Station House Officer of Kukatpally police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate, not only got Lalit Kumar admitted to a private hospital but also paid the hospital bill from his pocket.

Lalit Kumar, a resident of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, was stranded due to the lockdown at Kukatpally here and was in need of medical surgery. He approached the police and the inspector came forward to get him admitted to Omni Hospital.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur appreciated the police officer's kind gesture.

Dattatraya, who hails from Hyderabad, spoke to Laxminarayan Reddy over the phone and lauded him for the immediate help he rendered to the man in distress. He said that the official's action is an inspiration to all.

Himachal Pradesh chief minister sent a letter to Laxminarayan Reddy. "This act was a great gesture on your part and I appreciate your exemplary effort. Your deed is an inspiration to all the persons involved in the fight against COVID-19," Thakur wrote.

"Your concern beyond humanity towards Mr Lalit who got stranded due to lockdown really deserves this appreciation. Admitting him at the hospital and supporting financially on your own, proves once again that police are there to reach every needy. Proud of you dear SHO, Kukatpally," tweeted Telangana Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, who also posted Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister's letter of appreciation for the police official.

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Police on Thursday took in custody around 100 people who entered the city while travelling from Mumbai on way to their native places, including in North India, during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, said officials. These people, numbering around 100 and including women and children, were coming from Mumbai, around 200km from here, on foot during the lockdown and entered Nashik city in the evening, they said.

Police swung into action when they were spotted on a flyover on the Mumbai-Agra Highway, which passes through the city, the officials said. When questioned, some of them told the police they were going to their hometowns in North India, they said. Some of them were natives of other districts of Maharashtra, the officials said. They were travelling in violation of government orders related to implementation of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown and hence were taken into custody, they said.

The police later sent them to a Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC)-run shelter home in Anandvalli. Till now, more than 800 people, who were passing through Nashik during the lockdown, have been taken into custody and kept in various shelter homes in the city, they said. One of them was later found to be coronavirus positive and is receiving treatment in hospital, they added.

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New Delhi: An astounding 93.5 per cent people in the country believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is handling the coronavirus outbreak effectively, a survey revealed on Thursday.

The central government had imposed a 21-day nation-wide lockdown on March 25, which was later extended till May 3.

According to the IANS-C-voter COVID-19 tracker, the number of people who laid trust on the Modi government on the first day of the lockdown was 76.8 but that has now increased to 93.5 per cent as of April 21.

In the survey, the statement -- "I think the Indian government is handling the coronavirus (outbreak) well" -- was put forth before people between March 16 to April 21 and their answers were sought.

On April 16, 75.8 percent people said that they have faith in the government, but the percentage increased after the stringent curbs were imposed in the country.

Interestingly, an overall confidence in the incumbent government saw a sharp rise on April 1. A 89.9 percent people believed that the government is working well in comparison to March 31, when the percentage was 79.4

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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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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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In order to ensure that farmers continue to get all necessary inputs for farming amid the coronavirus lockdown, the Indian Railways has carried 25,588 tonnes of manure to Moradabad through 12 goods trains. "To ensure that no farmer faces any issue here, we have transported all the essential items for agriculture including urea via goods trains. These goods will be delivered to farmers with the help of the traders," Manohar, an Indian Railways official, told ANI. The official further stated that they are also ensuring that labourers who are unloading the manure from the trains are following social distancing norms.

"Labourers who have been asked to unload the items have been made aware of social distancing. All the workers have been issued lockdown passes so that they do not face any problem while commuting," he added. Also, Indian Railways recently has also identified 63 routes for Parcel Special Trains since the start of the lockdown for transportation of perishable commodities including fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products and seeds for agriculture purposes.

The Parcel Specials have been planned to connect all the major cities of the country, viz Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. In addition, proper connectivity has also been ensured to Guwahati, to ensure supplies in the North-Eastern region of the country. Other important cities connected via these trains are Bhopal, Allahabad, Dehradun, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Ranchi, Gorakhpur, Thiruvananthapuram, Salem, Warangal, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Rourkela, Bilaspur, Bhusawal, Tatanagar, Jaipur, Jhansi, Agra, Nasik, Nagpur, Akola, Jalgaon, Surat, Pune, Raipur, Patna, Asansol, Kanpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Gwalior, Mathura, Nellore, Jabalpur, etc.

Trains are being run even on those routes where demand is less, so that no part of the country remains unconnected. Trains have been given en-route stoppages at all feasible locations, so that maximum possible clearance of parcels may be done.

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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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New Delhi: On Saturday, the Home Ministry clarified that only standalone shops are being allowed to open as per the directive and that the order does not apply to Covid-19 containment zones or liquor stores. Then in further clarification, the government said that salons, barbershops, and restaurants will continue to be closed as the relaxation was given to "shops selling items".

The Ministry has cleared the air after initial confusion due to Friday night's MHA order. The clarification says, "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops & shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes & shopping malls are not allowed to open."

Here are all shops that can open:

1. All shops in residential areas and markets in the neighbourhood will open those sell items.

2. All shops that are registered under the Shops and Establishment Act of the respective State or the Union Territory, including those shops in residential complexes and market complexes, outside the municipal corporations and municipalities, will be allowed to open.

3. In urban areas, non-essential goods and services will be allowed to operate provided they are in residential areas or are a standalone shop. This essentially means a sweet shop too can function.

4. However, those shops in registered markets but outside municipal corporations and municipalities can open only with 50 per cent staff.

5. Shops that fall under rural and semi-rural areas and markets that are registered can open. In cities, only standalone shops and residential shops can open.

Meanwhile, the ministry also clarified that sales by e-commerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only.

So, what all that can't be open?

1. No shops have been allowed to open in multi-brand or single brand malls, it had said. So, one can forget about their plans for a mall visit.

2. No movie theaters are being allowed to open.

3. lquor shops too will remain closed and the MHA has made it a point to stress on that.

3. Gyms and swimming pools too will be off-limit as they are areas where social distancing goes for a toss.

4. Markets with a cluster of shops like that of south Delhi's Khan Market too will remain shut.

5. Since they don't sell items but offer services, salons too will remain closed.

However, much of the final decision rests with respective state governments and UT administrations. But where they do allow these new reprieves, however conditionally, it will surely be a welcome change for a locked-down populace.

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After a late night order on reopening of shops amid the Coronavirus lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday issued a clarification saying that only standalone shops are allowed to open. It further stated that the order does not apply to COVID-19 containment zones or liquor stores. "In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes are allowed to open. Shops in markets/market complexes and shopping malls are not allowed to open," the ministry clarified.

The ministry clarified that sales by ecommerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only. It also cleared that liquor stores will be shut as the relaxations do not apply to them. "Sale of liquor and other items continues to be prohibited as specified in the National Directives for COVID-19 management," it added.

Don't hurry: CAIT to traders
The largest traders' body Confederation of All India Traders lauded the decision, but issued a caution to the traders to follow orders by their state governments in the matter and also sanitise shops and market places before resuming business. CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, "The central government has taken this decision only after fully assessing the present circumstances." "We appeal to traders across the country to not open their shops in their extreme enthusiasm. Since trade and shops is a state subject, only states governments are empowered to take the decision," Khandelwal added.

Shops to open in Gujarat
The Gujarat government on Saturday declared that all the individual shops, neighbourhood shops and other small commercial activities outside containment zones will be permitted from Sunday.

No gatherings in UP
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday made it clear that no public gatherings will be allowed in the state till June 30. "CM Adityanath has given strict instructions to the officers that no crowd of any kind can gather until June 30," Mrityunjay Kumar, media advisor to Aditynath, said on Saturday.

4 N-E states COVID-19 free
With the recovery of the second patient in Tripura on Saturday, four of the eight northeastern states—Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim—have become Coronavirus-free, officials said on Saturday morning. According to health officials, there are 15 active cases in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram, besides a 33-year-old trader from Dimapur, Nagaland, undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital since April 12.

'Halting DA unnecessary'
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday opposed the Central government's decision to cut back hike in dearness allowance of government employees and pensioners. In a video message released by the Congress, Singh said, "We should be on the side of people whose DA is being cut. I believe it is not necessary at this stage to enforce hardship on government servants and armed forces personnel."

Man kills wife over kids' future

A man in Delhi allegedly killed his wife after an argument over their children's future turned violent. The couple has nine children and the ongoing lockdown created uncertainty over their future. This was the second marriage for both of them. The accused himself informed the police about the incident. The incident took place in Madipur JJ Colony, which has been declared a containment zone by the authorities. The accused used a stick to kill her.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's fight against the coronavirus is "people-driven" and is being fought by the masses and the administration together. "India's fight against coronavirus is actually people-driven. This fight is being fought by the people and the administration together. Every citizen as a soldier is fighting this war," Prime Minister Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address.

The Prime Minister said a vast country like India which is starving for development and fighting a decisive battle against poverty has only this option to fight against coronavirus. "I am confident that in future, whenever there is a discussion regarding the pandemic there will be a reference to Indian's people-driven fight against the infection," he said

The Prime Minister said today's Mann Ki Baat is taking place "when we are in the midst of a 'Yuddh' (war).

"When I talk about a mask, I remember an old thing. You also would be remembering, there was a time when a person seen buying fruits would be questioned whether someone in the family was sick. It meant, fruits could only be consumed during illness, such was the thinking that time. But with changing times, this thinking also changed," he said.

"Similarly, perception regarding the mask is also about to change. You will see that mask will now become a symbol of civilised society. If you want to save yourself and others from disease, then you will have to use a mask. And, I have a simple suggestion, 'Gamcha'," he added.

He added that in changing times due to COVID-19, masks are becoming part of our lives. "We have not been habitual of seeing people around us with masks but this is happening now. It doesn't mean that all those who use masks are sick," the Prime Minister said.

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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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A unique initiative by Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur Police to teach lockdown offenders a lesson and create awareness about the spread of the novel coronavirus has taken the internet by storm. A viral video shared by a meme page on Facebook shows police officers in Tamil Nadu teaching people violating the lockdown guidelines a lesson for life.

In the three minute 50 seconds video clip, police officers of Tiruppur Police can be seen stopping people roaming freely without face mask amid lockdown across the country. In order to teach a lesson to those defying lockdown rules, the Tamil Nadu police came up with their own unique initiative which has been appreciated by netizens.

As the video moves forward, the police officers are seen pushing the lockdown violators into an ambulance which has a man posing as a COVID-19 patient. Once pushed inside, the violators can be seen begging the officers to let them comes out of the ambulance van.

The hilarious yet creative video ends with a police officer making an appeal to people to not roam without face masks. The officer says, "When you roam around, anyone can have the novel coronavirus and you may not know. The government and the police officials have been stressing on the importance of staying indoors. If at all you need to come out to buy essentials, please wear masks."

The funny video which aims to create awareness to combat the spread of COVID-19 has garnered over 2.3 million views and about 73 thousand shares. Hundreds of people took to the comments section of the viral video to laud the Tamil Nadu police and shower praise on their unique initiative.

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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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Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address, has given a direction to the Indian citizens for fighting the battle against Coronavirus.

"PM Modi in his 'Mann ki Baat' has said that the battle against Coronavirus has to be won within one month. He had said that by the time Eid comes we will defeat Coronavirus," Javadekar said.

He further said, "Modi had also said that society has shown humanity by ensuring that no one goes hungry during the lockdown." "In today's address, the PM gave a proper direction that is necessary to fight the battle against Coronavirus," he added.

Modi while addressing the nation during his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' had said that India's fight against the Coronavirus is "people-driven" and is being fought by the masses and the administration together.

He also informed that the government has come up with a digital platform to link volunteers of social organisations, representatives of civil society and local administration.

Tamil Nadu under major lockdown

The complete lockdown in the major urban centres of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and Coimbatore, came into force on Sunday with groceries and vegetable shops also shutting down as civic bodies intensified disinfection work in their respective regions. While police patrol vehicles and flying squads of civic bodies alone could be seen in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tirupur, people in some localities in north Chennai loitered around.

Standalone shops open up in Delhi

The Delhi government has allowed the standalone shops in the national capital based on the Union Home Ministry's order but the markets and complexes will remain shut, Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said. He also said that no other relaxation will be given to the city till May 3 — lockdown deadline. "Last Sunday we decided to continue the lockdown without any relaxation. We are giving one relaxation today. The Centre on Friday announced to open some shops and we are implementing it."

Shops sell PPE for as cheap as Rs 198

As they fight the deadly Coronavirus pandemic 24/7, frontline healthcare workers are facing a severe crunch of personal protection equipment (PPE) suits or hazmat suits. Suddenly, several retail shops have cropped up across the country, offering such specialised medical suits at cheap prices. Shops in Tirupur — also called the knitwear city of India — in Tamil Nadu are offering such suits for as low as R198 and R225, take minimum order for 50 suits with courier charges extra.

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Playing game of cards and hosting parties to kill time during the nationwide lockdown, two truck driver in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada city spread coronavirus to as many as 38 persons, officials said on Sunday.

One of them infected 24 people while organising a game of cards at his house and inviting his neighbours and friends to join in. According to officials, he had gone to Kolkata in West Bengal to ferry some goods and returned to the city on April 4 via Odisha.

Feeling bored, the driver invited neighbours and friends for a game of cards while his wife invited womenfolk from nearby houses.

When the truck driver tested positive, officials questioned him and came to know about his activities since his return hoe. Those who came in contact with him were screened and most found infected.

Another driver spread the virus to 14 people. Investigations revealed that he had gone to Dubai and returned via Sri Lanka and Chennai last month. Without observing home quarantine, he attended parties and thus spread of virus.

Vijayawada is a hotspot in the state and it accounts for more than 100 of the 177 positive cases reported so far in Krishna district.

District collector Imtiyaz Ahmed said unless people cooperate in checking the spread of coronavirus, government efforts alone can't yield the desired results.

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The Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) on Monday petitioned information & broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar for a relief and rehabilitation package for the broadcasting sector.

The industry sought regulatory moratorium for 18 months, phased resumption of production activities, extension of moratorium period for GST payment and for the government to mandate digital payments of subscription and advertising dues to broadcasters. It also said the Centre should issue an advisory to DPOs to release payments of subscription fees up to February-end.

Seeking a stimulus package from the government so that broadcasters can get back on track, IBF president N P Singh, said, "IBF has submitted a standard operating procedure (SOP) on prevention/ safety measures for organised, safe and sustainable restart of content production, media operations, transmission and general office operations in the TV broadcast sector to PMO, Niti Aayog and I&B ministry. The SOP will help the sector to move quickly towards normalcy and we certainly hope that the government would consider it favourably."

Apart from emphasising that the government should urgently settle all outstanding dues to the broadcasting industry, IBF also demanded waiver of processing fee and temporary live uplinking fee for live sporting events for a period of one year from the resumption of normal business activities, increase in time period of 1-2 years for operationalising new channels that are granted permission, and the suspension of requirement of performance bank guarantees for channels that are to be launched, for one year.

IBF also asked the government to defer payments due to Prasar Bharati for free dish carriage until July 2020 and said all pending refunds exceeding Rs 5 lakh should be urgently processed. It added that the government should extend the existing stay on demand for income tax for the next six months, and not seek any new hearings.

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The business of advertising agencies has shrunk by more than 70 per cent following the spread of Covid-19 and the lockdown. In a recommendation to the government, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), which is the national association of advertising agencies, has proposed that advertising expense be treated as an investment and the cost be amortised over the next three years.

The objective is to encourage a higher level of expenditure by profitable companies, which will in turn accelerate the revival of economic activity. In a letter to Prakash Javadekar, the Union minister of information & broadcasting, AAAI said on a Rs 100 expense, an advertiser be allowed to claim an expenditure of, say, twice that amount (Rs 200), while computing income tax.

The bulk of the agency's costs are fixed in nature, be it salaries, rent, electricity and communication, among others. "The income and cash flow has been in serious stress in the last month and unless there is some intervention, many businesses will either file for bankruptcy or will have to under-size considerably," the note said.

AAAI president Ashish Bhasin, who is also CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network Greater South and chairman & CEO of India, told TOI, "Advertising industry is like the lubricant to the economy. And the lubricant for the advertising industry is liquidity. If we can infuse liquidity in advertising by encouraging profitable companies to continue to advertise, it will spur consumer demand, which in turn will kick-start the economy. The positive benefit from an improved consumer demand will far outweigh the offsets we are asking for."

With hotels, airlines and other industries impacted by the lockdown, Bhasin said overall average advertising industry revenues have come down by more than 70%. "We had earlier estimated a growth projection of 11-12% for this calendar year. However, with the current situation, we might just end the year with a degrowth," said Bhasin.

AAAI has requested the government to pay its dues to advertising agencies at the earliest possible. AAAI has also asked for an expedited refund of GST applications within 2-4 weeks.

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