Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Delhi will continue the trial of Plasma therapy as it has approval from the Centre.He also said that he is happy that most of those who recovered in Delhi are ready to donate the plasma.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Delhi will continue the trial of Plasma therapy as it has approval from the Centre."The Centre has only said that Plasma is on trial and it is not an official treatment. Delhi will continue the plasma trial as we have approval from the Centre," Kejriwal said while speaking to the media.He also said that he is happy that most of those who recovered in Delhi are ready to donate the plasma.On the students stuck in Kota in Rajasthan, Kejriwal also said that 40 buses from Delhi will go to Kota to bring back the students.

The war against COVID-19 is far from over, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday, soon after the central government formally declared both districts of Goa as COVID-free green zones."With the efforts of our #CoronaWarriors and support of the people of Goa, our state has now been classified as a green zone by the Govt of India. The war against COVID-19 is far from over," Sawant tweeted.Sawant also called for a modification in lifestyle and prioritising safe distancing as a way of life to stay safe amid the menacing pandemic."We must continue our fight against this virus by adopting a modified lifestyle which gives priority to safe health norms such as sanitization, wearing of face covers, social distancing and staying at home during the lockdown period," Sawant said.Goa had registered

Given that most Indians are unlikely to be tested for COVID-19, scientists are taking a cue from the country's surveillance programme for polio and turning to sewage to get a clearer snapshot of how many people are infected with the coronavirus. Wastewater epidemiology is a valuable tool to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus in communities, said Manish Kumar of the Indian Institute of Technology in Gandhinagar who is working with an international team of collaborators on the project.The wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) global collaboration comprises over 50 institutes and researchers headed by Kyle James Bibby of the University of Notre Dame in the US. The group is coordinating sampling and analytical protocols as well as data-sharing so that results obtained can be compared on

New Delhi, May 1 () German luxury car manufacturer Audi on Friday announced complimentary disinfection and general check-up of vehicles for the customers engaged in fighting the coronavirus pandemic from the front line.Audi customers who are leading the battle against COVID-19 from the front line can avail of a complimentary disinfection/cleaning of interiors, exterior cleaning and general check-up of their Audi, along with a courtesy car pick-up and drop, Audi India said in a statement.The offer is being made under the 'Salute to COVID-19 Warriors' initiative in gratitude of the services rendered by essential workers, it added."As we continue to battle this unprecedented crisis, we are pleased to announce that all Audi India dealerships across the country will prioritise vehicle servicing

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani has accelerated the timeframe for wiping out ₹1.61 lakh crore of net debt at his Reliance Industries by bringing in strategic investors in key businesses as well as committing more equity.Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), had in August last year set a target of March 2021 to make the oil-to-telecom conglomerate net debt-free. But thanks to a USD 5.7 billion (Rs 43,547 crore) deal with Facebook, a Rs 53,125 crore rights issue and more stake sale to companies such as Saudi Aramco, the target is likely to be achieved by December.In an investor and media call post announcement of the company's fourth-quarter earnings, RIL's Joint Chief Financial Officer Srikanth Venkatachari said, "The zero net debt target will be achieved within

By Gunjan Sharma New Delhi, May 1 () The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, which has become the first academic institute to develop a COVID-19 testing method, is planning to give non-exclusive open licence to companies for commercialising the test but with a price rider. While over 40 companies have reached out to the premiere institute after it got an approval from the ICMR for the test, IIT will be giving the licence to the companies which meet its quality criteria and the test is expected to be in market within three weeks. "Over 40 companies, including a few big names, have reached out to us to commercialise the test. We will be giving open licences to companies which meet the quality criterion set by us. We also will be giving the licence with a price rider so companies do

Amravati, May 2 () Four persons, including adeceased patient, tested positive for COVID-19 at Amravati in Maharashtra on Saturday, taking the tally in the city to 47, an official said. Of the 24 swab samples that were tested, results offour have come out positive, district collector Shailesh Navalsaid.A deceased 58-year-old man from Kanwar Nagar was among those who tested positive on Saturday, apart from a man from Taj Nagar and one from Tarkheda, he said.With the death of the Kanwar Nagar resident, the tollof COVID-19 deaths in the city has gone up to eight, while the count stands at 47, the collector said.

Indore, May 2 () Two COVID-19 patients succumbed to the infection at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, taking the toll in the district to 74, a senior official said on Saturday. Indore, one of the worst hit districts in the country,has been reeling under the coronavirus outbreak for the last one month.The deceased COVID-19 patients include two women in their 50s, one of whom suffered from anaemia, while the other had co-morbid conditions of high blood pressure and diabetes, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said.At least 32 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported inthe district in the last 24 hours, taking the count to 1,545,of which 250 patients have recovered from the infection, he said.The latest data has revealed that the death rate of COVID-19 patients in the district as on

Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 (): After remaining free of any positive cases for a month, Wayanad reported a loneCOVID-19 case on Saturday, following which the district wasshifted from the green to the orange zone, Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan said.The other positive case in the state was from Kannur,which has the highest number of cases at present.With the fresh cases,the tally in the state stood at 499.No positive cases were detected in the state on Friday."There are only two positive cases in the state today. But one is from Wayanad where since the past one month no positive cases have been reported.So Wayanad has been removed from thegreen to the orange zone," Vijayan told reporters here.Samples of 8 people - six from Kannur and two from Idukkihave returned negative.There are 80 hotspots,

Ahmedabad, May 2 () Ahmedabad on Saturday reported 20 fatalities due to COVID-19, its highest single-day tally,and 250 new cases, a Gujarat health official said. With this, the overall death tally in Gujarat'sbiggest city has mounted to 185 while the number of cases roseto 3,543, the official said."Of the total 26 deaths reported in Gujarat on Saturday, Ahmedabad accounted for 20," said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.Of the 20 deceased, 12 were suffering from underlyinghealth conditions, she said."Ahmedabad has reported 250 of the total 333 new COVID-19 casesfrom 12 districts of the state," the official said.A total 63 coronavirus positive patients were discharged after recovery in Ahmedabad, taking their total number in the district to 462, she said. See Also - Checkout the names

Kolkata, May 2 () Fifteen people have died in West Bengal due to COVID-19 in the last 48 hours, taking the toll to 48, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department on Saturday. It said 127 new cases of coronavirus were registered from different parts of the state during this period, as the new number of active cases rose to 639.The government did not issue any bulletin on the COVID-19 status on Friday.In the last 48 hours, 60 people have been discharged from various hospitals after being cured. Now a total of 199 patients have been cured of the disease in the state.The bulletin said 4,471 samples were tested during this period to check COVID-19 and the total number of tests in West Bengal is 20,976.The total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal till Saturday is 886 while

Bhubaneswar, May 2 () Eight people tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha's Jajpur district on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 157, officials said with 56 people cured of the disease and one death, the number of active cases in the state now stands at 100. Till Friday, a total of 36,593 samples were tested, they said All the eight newly detected patients, which include two women, have a travel history to Kolkata in West Bengal, officials said, adding they were kept in a quarantine centre and had no symptoms of coronavirus.Their samples were tested in view their travel history, the officials said.With these new instances of the infection, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased to 47 in Jajpur district which has emerged as the new coronavirus hotspot of Odisha.

Chandrapur, May 2 () Chandrapur district in Maharashtra on Saturday reported its first COVID-19 case after a 50-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus, officials said here. His reports came in positive at around 8:30 pm and the area around his residence in Krishna Nagar in Bengali Camp area has been sealed, said District Civil Surgeon Nivruti Rathod.Collector Kunal Khemnar, in a press release, asked people to ad here to lockdown norms strictly so that the spread of the virus can be stopped.A District Information Office release said three residents of Chandrapur are currently admitted for the infection in Delhi and Nagpur, due to which the district ispart of the orange zone.See Also - Total coronavirus cases in India till May 4Coronavirus hotspot and Containment zones in Hyderabad

Nashik, May 3 () The number of coronavirus cases rose to 360 in Maharashtra's Nashik district after 27 more people tested positive for the disease, the district administration said on Sunday. With this, 324 COVID-19 cases have so far been reported from Malegaon town, 16 from Nashik city and 17 from other parts of the district.Besides, three patients from outside Nashik are also under going treatment in hospitals here, the district administration said in a release.The district has so far reported 12 deaths, while 25 people have been discharged after recovery.

A number of aircraft of Indian Air Force conducted a fly past over different parts spanning the length and breadth of the country today (May 3) as a tribute to the frontline staff ⁠— doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police and others ⁠— dealing with the COVID-19 pandeminc in India. This flying activity was combined along with the training activity of the Indian Air Force and opportunity flight for transport aircraft and helicopters who are involved in moving supplies related to COVID-19 task, a government statement said. Watch the video here: Courtesy: The state-run broadcaster Doordarshan.From the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital in Kerala, the IAF aircrafts showered flower petals

India's National Pension System (NPS) has bucked the downtrend triggered by Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent nationwide lockdown to contain it. During the first three weeks of April, the scheme along with the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has seen an upsurge in new enrolments and an increase in assets under management (AUM) of these programmes.ALSO WATCH: The CEO of mutual fund house explains how to invest your savings in the post-coronavirus world In financial parlance, NPS and APY are Central government backed schemes which are administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The PFRDA is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the NPS and the pension schemes to which this Act applies.75468072The

This is an excerpt of an article originally published in the Observer Research Foundation. Viral load matters.Although there’s plenty we still don’t know about all the ways coronavirus ravages the human body, data are telling us at least this much: More than 10 in 100 frontline healthcare workers in the US are getting infected with COVID19.Frontline health care workers who are typically in closest proximity with confirmed COVID19 patients account for 11% per cent of US COVID19 cases according to the first national level data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).7551518275516736Doctors on the cutting edge of COVID19 research have been urging policy makers to factor viral dose and its relationship to severity. This CDC report based on data between February 12–April

While the new government guidelines have allowed IT manufacturing units including mobile phones to resume operations from May 4, there has been no official confirmation yet and Realme India is awaiting the nod to open its factory at Greater Noida and begin streamlining overall processes, its CEO Madhav Sheth said on Sunday.Due to the extended lockdown, there are many challenges faced by businesses with huge impact from sales, manufacturing and cost."With the recent extension of the lockdown period for two more weeks, we haven't received any official confirmation on when can the production will resume," Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme and CEO, Realme India, told IANS.75515809"We have reached out to the government for approval on opening of factory and now await their decision. We will

The nationwide lockdown has had deep ramifications on economic activity and according to a CEO Snap Poll by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 44.7 per cent of the corporate chiefs believe that it would take more than a year for the Indian economy to recover.According to the snap poll on the 'Impact of COVID-19 on Economy and Industry', as a majority of the firms continue to anticipate a significant decline in their revenues, they now foresee a delay in economic revival and demand recovery.SEE ALSO: Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40%Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40% "The survey results reveal that the country may experience a protracted slowdown in economic activity as a major proportion

Ahmedabad, May 3 () One more ward of Ahmedabad city was declared as a COVID-19 containment zone on Sunday, taking the total number of such wards here to 10, a senior civic official said. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is taking steps to ensure lockdown rules are strictly followed in these affected areas to contain the spread of coronavirus, he said.The Maninagar ward in south Ahmedabad is the latest to be added in the list of containment zones, the official said.The COVID-19 figures in Ahmedabad till Saturday are as follows: Total cases-3,543, deaths-184, active cases-2,815, discharged-525, total samples tested-30,166 (at the rate of 5,000 samples per million), the official said.Ahmedabad has been declared a red zone by the Centre, and the state government will decide on the lockdown

Indore, May 3, Two more people succumbed to coronavirus in Indore, taking the COVID-19 death toll in the Madhya Pradesh's worst hit district to 76, an official said on Sunday.The latest victims included a 55-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man, who died in different hospitals here in the last three days, Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.The woman had diabetes and thyroid problems, while theman was diabetic and also had high blood pressure, he said.Indore reported 23 new coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases in the district to 1,568 cases, the official said.So far, 350 people have been discharged in the district after recovery, he said.An analysis of the data shows the COVID-19 death ratein Indore stood as 4.85 per cent

Aurangabad (Maha), May 3 () The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases to about 300 over one week in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra can be largely attributed to augmented testing capacity, a senior official said on Sunday. Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar told that the administration had earlier been testing only primary contacts of coronavirus positive cases but has now included secondary contacts as well.Aurangabad has been classified as one of the 14 'Red'zones in Maharashtra, which has reported more than 12,000 COVID-19 cases so far."Augmented testing is the reason for the rise in the number of cases. This aggressive tracing (of contacts) has also helped us in detecting more patients," he said.Kendrekar also said that since majority of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, the rate

Jaipur, May 3 () Rajasthan recorded four more coronavirus deaths on Monday, while 123 fresh cases of the virus were reported, an official said.Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said four people died of the virus in Jaipur. The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 75. Jaipur alone has reported 44 deaths.As many as 123 new cases, including 73 in Jodhpur, 19 in Chittorgarh, 12 in Jaipur, 11 in Pali, three in Kota, two in Rajsamand and one each in Alwar, Bikaner and Udaipur have been reported, the Health Department official said.The state now has 3,009 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 923 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,578 active cases, Singh said.Jaipur has reported the highest number of cases with 1,005 infections, followed by

By Gurdip Singh Singapore, May 4 () Nearly 4,800 Indian nationals, most of whom are living in dormitories for foreign workers, have been tested positive with the novel coronavirus in Singapore till the end of April, the Indian High Commissioner here said on Monday.The total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore are 18,205 with 18 deaths, according to the figures released by Singapore Health Ministry on Sunday."Almost all of the infection among Indian workers is mild and their conditions are improving," Jawed Ashraf, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, told .Over 3,500 Indian nationals, including students, have also registered with the High Commission to return home or to seek assistance for accommodation and food due to their unexpectedly long stay here, he said.Over 90 per cent of the

As countries across the world continue to grapple with COVID-19, ZEE5 Global, which is present in 190 countries, sees a 60% surge in subscriptions and 20% growth in viewership in all markets. The platform’s focus this year is going to be on expanding across geographies, localization and strengthening its content strategy.Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global further shares the growth plan, which are the key markets for ZEE5 global, and its retention strategy once the lockdown is lifted. As most countries across the globe continue being under lockdown, viewers are turning to OTT platforms to stay entertained and escape from the much scarier reality. ZEE5 Global has also seen a 60% uptick in the number of subscribers globally and a 20% growth in viewership in the past month due

Previously a top sales director at LinkedIn, Virginia joins JioSaavn to lead global brands partnerships and the company’s growing audio ad platform. She will be responsible for driving adoption of JioSaavn’s innovative advertising solutions for brands, while overseeing agency and client relationships.JioSaavn has on-boarded Virginia Sharma as Vice President of Brand Solutions. Based out of JioSaavn’s Gurgaon office, Sharma will lead the company’s global digital ad monetization efforts across platforms. She will be responsible for driving adoption of JioSaavn’s innovative advertising solutions for brands, while overseeing agency and client relationships. With more than 20 years of experience leading marketing and sales teams, Sharma joins JioSaavn from LinkedIn, where she excelled in the top

Bengaluru, May 4 () A 56-year old man from Kalaburagi became the 26th COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, as the state reported 28 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 642, the Health Department said on Monday. Davangere, which was in the green zone has seen as purt in cases with 21 out of 28 cases coming from the district.The deceased was a known case of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and was admitted on April 29 with complaints of cough and fever, the department said in its mid-day situation update.His chest X-ray showed bilateral patchy pneumonitisand he died at designated hospital in Kalaburagi, it said."Twenty-eight new positive cases have been reportedfrom last evening to this noon...Till date 642 COVID-19positive cases have been confirmed. This includes

The Motorola Razr foldable phone is expected to be launched in India on May 8.The flagship foldable phone will be available exclusively from Flipkart.Lenovo-owned smartphone maker Motorola had launched its flagship foldable phone, the Motorola Razr in India in March this year and the device has now been listed with May 8 as the tentative release date on Flipkart. The smartphone was originally scheduled to be launched in the country on April 2. However, the launch was postponed to May 6 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing nationwide lockdown. While the device has been listed on Flipkart, the smartphone maker has not announced when the device will go on sale. The smartphone is priced at ₹1,24,999 for the single 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. As part of an introductory offer, Citibank

Thane, May 4 () While the number of cases in Thane and Navi Mumbai municipal corporation limits has crossed 300 each, Kalyan Dombivali area, the district's third major civicbody, is close to 200 coronavirus positive cases, health officials said on Monday. As on late Sunday night, the total number of cases in Thane district is 1183.The number of cases in KDMC is 195, while it is 389 in Thane city, 314 in Navi Mumbai and 171 in Mira Bhayander.In Navi Mumbai, over 4,000 people have been tested forthe virus in the APMC market in Vashi, the premier supplier ofgrains, vegetables, fruits and spices to Mumbai MetropolitanRegion.In neighbouring Palghar district, the total number ofCOVID-19 cases stands at 177, which includes 10 deaths so far. CORBNM BNM

Jaipur, May 3 () Rajasthan recorded six more coronavirus deaths on Monday, while 130 fresh cases of the virus were reported, an official said.Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said six people, including four in Jaipur and two in Jodhpur, died of the virus.The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 77. Jaipur alone has reported 44 deaths.As many as 130 new cases, including 76 in Jodhpur, 19 in Chittorgarh, 15 in Jaipur, 11 in Pali, three in Kota, two in Rajsamand and one each in Dholpur, Alwar, Bikaner and Udaipur have been reported, the Health Department official said.The state now has 3,016 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 937 have been discharged from hospitals. There are 1,545 active cases, Singh said.Jaipur has reported the highest number of

Poynter Institutes International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) on Monday launched its chatbot on WhatsApp to help two billion users of the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform to check veracity of information related to COVID-19.The IFCN's bot connects people with independent fact-checkers in more than 70 countries and also with the largest database of debunked falsehoods related to the new coronavirus.75343540By using the IFCN's bot on WhatsApp, citizens from all over the world will be able to easily check whether a piece of content about COVID-19 has already been rated as false by professional fact-checkers.Since January, more than 80 fact-checking organisations from 74 countries have identified more than 4,000 hoaxes related to the novel coronavirus.All this information now forms the

Airtel has been one of the resilient stocks over the last few months even as the AGR issue and Coronavirus-fueled market crash has wiped off lakhs of crores of investor wealth.The Airtel stock could rally thanks to the Jio-Facebook deal and the weakening of Vodafone Idea.The Airtel stock has been given a ‘Buy’ rating with a target price of ₹606, which is an upside of more than 20%.Airtel was the market leader before the arrival of Reliance Jio, but it has since ceded its lead position to the Mukesh Ambani-owned telecom company. However, the gap between the two leading mobile service providers may be too huge, according to market experts.When it comes to the market cap, though, Airtel is 1.6 times smaller than Jio. Vodafone Idea, on the other hand, is 39 times smaller than Jio, which is currently

This is an excerpt of an article originally published by the Observer Research FoundationWork will be exactly what it is right now as the ‘future’ has already made its way to our present realities. It is then important to know how to address one of the most prevailing obstacles of our ‘new now’ — building trust within our cyber-relationships (mostly focusing on daily transactions and remote working).We know the world is heading towards an economic recession. We, therefore, need to try to make our new cyber reality as akin to real life as possible. This translates into having digital economies that want to be like the very jobs we used to have.Perhaps blockchain will have the answer. Humans produce data every single day, and there have long been debates about its ownership. Web 3.0 may now

IANS“While the lockdown has helped in flattening the curve, the curve has not shown a downward trend. That is a cause for concern,” Guleria told The Indian Express.He also believes “the next four to six weeks will be very, very important because the lockdown cannot be there forever. The ideal, the dream would be to have zero cases.”Guleria believes “we are better prepared than we were before”, but the pandemic has to be “fought at the community level, not the hospital level.”Lav Aggarwal, the spokesperson, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted the fact that for the first time since the outbreak, India’s COVID-19 cases are doubling every 12 days. Which is a huge improvement since before lockdown began coronavirus cases were doubling every 3.2 days as of March 24. However, the

The International Fact-Checking Network has launched a WhatsApp chatbot to fact check information about Coronavirus.The chatbot allows users to check whether the information received by them is authentic or not.Users can also use the IFCN chatbot to identify fact checkers near them.The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life across the world and over 3.6 million people have been infected. Misinformation has also been a huge problem as social media platforms have been used to spread fake news about Coronavirus.WhatsApp has over 2 billion monthly active users and there have been several instances where the messaging app has been used to spread fake news. To help users stay safe during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has launched a

Chinese smartphone brand Realme on Tuesday announced it has resumed online sales of its smartphones and accessory products through online channels which include realme.com, Flipkart and Amazon and has received huge orders.Complying with the Centre's guidelines that allow delivery of non-essential items in the green and orange zones in the country, Realme said it has commenced online orders of its products, starting May 4.Meanwhile, the company's offline channels in green and orange zones have also resumed operations, complying with the directives."We have been receiving massive orders online since Sunday midnight and will be able to meet the current demand through our inventory stocks till factory reopens," informed a company spokesperson.The brand has approached the Uttar Pradesh government

IANSVAT on petrol was increased to 30% from 27%, previously. In the case of diesel, VAT has been almost doubled to 30% from 16.75% Petrol in Delhi now costs ₹71.26 a litre as against ₹69.59 previously. Previously, the Delhi government imposed a 70% fee on the maximum retail price of all categories of liquor sold through retail licenses for consumption off the premises.A day after imposing the special ‘corona fee’ on liquor, the Delhi government has hiked local sales or value-added tax on petrol and diesel. VAT on petrol was increased to 30% from 27%, previously. In the case of diesel, VAT has been almost doubled to 30% from 16.75%. Old PriceNew PricePetrol ₹69.59₹71.26Diesel₹62.29₹ 69.39Petrol price in the national capital was hiked by ₹1.67 a litre on May 5 and diesel by a steep ₹7.10 per

BHEL has invited foreign companies to ‘Make in India’ as it seeks to capitalise on US-China tensions to solve its cash flow issues.Investors cheered the move as the stock surged nearly 10% in two days.BHEL’s stock has taken a beating this year, losing half its value after missing FY20 sales by 20%.Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has invited foreign companies to use its facilities to set up manufacturing bases in the country. The government-owned company has floated an expression of interest in this regard. The stock surged nearly 10% in two days before cooling off, as investors cheered the initiative of a state-owned company looking to invite foreign companies on the fence in China and at the same time resolve its cash flow issues — two birds with one stone. 75548252For the year 2020

Internet harassment against women is at an all-time high in India. To help address this issue, OYO is discouraging smutty comments directed towards women on its social media tactfully. This initiative also led to improved behavior on the company’s social media, with a 42% drop in negative sentiment towards the brand in less than two weeks (precisely 11 days). OYO also observed some users deleting distasteful comments.“Have we ever come across a woman who hasn’t faced online threats, trolling or harassment at least once in her life? And how are we as members of a responsible society tackling this menace?” These were some of the questions that Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO Hotels & Homes pondered upon. The answer came to him through a quick scan on social media. As internet harassment

Nashik, May 5 () A 20-year-old pregnant woman died due to COVID-19 here, taking the toll in Nashik district of Maharashtra to 13, while four more persons tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, officials said. The woman, a resident of Bajrang wadi area of the city,was admitted in serious condition in the District Civil Hospital here on May 2, according to an official release.She died at the hospital after two hours, it said.Her swab report was received on Tuesday and it was found to be positive for the novel coronavirus, the release said.This was the first COVID-19 fatality reported from Nashik city, while the district's toll increased to 13, itsaid.Besides, four more persons - one each from Satana, Sinnar, Yeola and Malegaon towns - tested positive for coronavirus in the district on

New Delhi, May 5 () IT major Wipro on Tuesday said it has inked a pact with the Maharashtra government to repurpose one of its campuses in Hinjewadi, Pune, to a 450-bed COVID-19 intermediary care hospital in four weeks. The facility will be handed over to the state government by May 30, and the hospital will be converted back to an IT facility after a year, according to a statement. The 450-bed hospital, to be equipped to treat moderate cases, will include 12 beds to stabilise critical patients before shifting them to a tertiary care facility. "This is an independent, isolated COVID-19 dedicated complex that also includes 24 well-appointed rooms to accommodate doctors and medical staff," the company said. Maharashtra is among the worst-affected states by the pandemic. As on Tuesday morning,

The Telangana government has extended the Coronavirus lockdown till May 29.The government has issued new guidelines for opening of shops in urban and rural areas in the orange and green zones.Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Malkajgiri-Medchal have been classified as red zones.The Telangana lockdown has been extended till May 29, the state government today announced after a marathon cabinet meeting of around 7 hours. The K Chandrashekhar Rao government has decided that it will not allow any relaxations, and the curfew will continue as is for the lockdown period. The CM added that irrespective of the centre's decision, the lockdown will continue even after the nationwide lockdown ends on May 17. “The situation in the State capital, Hyderabad, and its neighbouring districts, Rangareddy and Malkajigiri-Medchal

Raipur, May 5 () A 26-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh's Durg district onTuesday, taking the number of such cases in the state to 59,Health officials said.Her sample tested positive at the All India Instituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, this evening, a publicrelations officer of the institute told .The woman is being admitted to the COVID-19 ward of AIIMS where at present, 22 active cases, including a nursing officer of the institute and some migrant labourers, are beingtreated, he added.According to a Durg district official, the woman,along with her two-year-old child reached Durg on Monday from Bhandara district of neighbouring Maharashtra by taking lift on a goods vehicle, amid lockdown restrictions.She is a native of Bhilai town in Durg, he said.The

The notification, however, clarified that the retail price will not rise and that would mean that the state-owned fuel retailers will have to bear the burden. Many states have already hiked value-added tax on fuels this week.The hike in duties on fuel will be effective from May 6. Fuels like petrol and diesel do not come under the GST in India.India's Central government has decided to hike the excise duty on petrol by ₹10, and on diesel by ₹13, with effect from Wednesday (May 6) to fill the gaping hole in the exchequer left by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the notification clarified that the retail price of fuels won't rise to avoid hurting the consumer. That would mean that state-owned fuel retailers like Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Hindustan

Bhubaneswar, May 6 () Odisha reported its second COVID-19 fatality on Tuesday night after a 77-year-old man died due to the disease in Bhubaneswar, health and family welfare department officials said. He breathed his last at the KIMS COVID-19 Hospital here, they said.The elderly man had underlying co-morbidities of hypertension, diabetes and kidney ailments, the officials said.On April 6, a 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar's Jharpada had died due to the contagion at the AIIMS here.Meanwhile, an 18-year-old man, who recently returned from Surat in Gujarat, tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 177, an official of the department said.Till Wednesday morning, there were 115 active cases, while 60 persons have recovered from the disease, he

Jaipur, May 6 () The COVID-19 death toll in Rajasthan increased to 90 with one more fatality reported on Wednesday, while 35 people tested positive for the disease, taking the number of cases to 3,193 in the state, an official said. The state has 1,567 active cases now, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said.The death was reported from Swai Madhopur. The death toll due to the virus in the state has climbed to 90, he said. Jaipur alone has reported 50 deaths.As many as 35 new cases, including 22 in Jaipur, seven in Pali, two each in Dungarpur and Ajmer, one each in Chittorgarh and Alwar, have been reported, the health department official said.The state now has 3,193 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 1,131 have been discharged from hospitals, Singh said.Jaipur has

Aarogya Setu has claimed that the Coronavirus tracking app is secure, and no privacy breaches have been found.Elliot Alderson, an ethical hacker had claimed that he had found a security issue in the app.French ethical hacker who goes by the fictitious name Elliot Alderson claimed that there was a security issue in Aarogya Setu, the coronavirus tracking app launched by the Indian government. In his tweet, Elliot Alderson had claimed that a security issue has been found in the Aarogya Setu app and that the privacy of over 90 million Indians was at risk. Soon after this, Alderson was contacted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). After disclosing the issue to them, Alderson said that he would wait for the issue to be fixed before

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus/TwitterThe World Health Organisation has been caught in controversies amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.US has accused the multi-lateral platform for health initiatives for acting as China’s ‘proxy’. In a conversation with Business Insider, Parag Khanna, Managing Partner at Future Map and Samir Saran, President of Observer Research Foundation explained the kind of reforms WHO needed to bring to become politically unbiased. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been under fire from the West ever since the coronavirus outbreak. US President Donald Trump accused the WHO of siding with China and even threatened to hold back its funding. There are more experts chiming in and calling for a fixed term for the WHO chief to avoid political partisanship in the future⁠—

Coronavirus conspiracies are being spread by far-right groups across the world – from blaming 5G technology to targeting Muslim and other minority communities.Some of the Coronavirus conspiracy theories also say that this pandemic is a population control tool.In India, the Tablighi Jamaat incident has been used by far-right groups to target Muslims using hashtags like #CoronaJihad, using the pandemic to suggest that it is a form of terrorism.Other Coronavirus conspiracies in India suggest that hot weather, clove and herbs, and alcohol can help people avoid contracting Covid-19.The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the Indian government to announce a nationwide lockdown since March 24, but it’s not just the deadly disease that we need to worry about. There have been many conspiracy theories,

BCCLSanofi plans to get thousands of subjects onboard across the world for the trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines that it is developing with GSK. Once enrolled, the company will start early-stage trials in September. The pharma giant has already partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching also exploring other options simultaneously. It hopes to introduce the vaccine next year, reported Reuters.Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company, says it is working on two different projects to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The pharma giant has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching other options as well. It hopes to introduce the vaccine by next year, reported Reuters. The plan is to get thousands of subjects on board across the world to test