India's new norms featuring "additional barriers" for foreign direct investment from specific countries violate WTO's principle of non-discrimination and are against the general trend of free trade, a Chinese embassy spokesperson said on Monday.

The impact of the policy was clear on Chinese investors, the official said, adding India's action was also against the consensus arrived at the G20 to realise a free, fair and non-discriminatory environment for investment. Last week, India made prior clearance by the government mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share land border with India to curb "opportunistic takeovers" of domestic firms following the Coronavirus pandemic.

Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said China hoped that India would revise the "relevant discriminatory practices" and treat investments from different countries equally while fostering an "open, fair and equitable" business environment.

India's decision to tighten norms for FDI came amid reports of China eyeing to take over several Indian entities following fall in their valuation after the economic downturn in the wake of the pandemic.

"The additional barriers set by Indian side for investors from specific countries violate WTO's principle of non-discrimination, and go against the general trend of liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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In a shocking incident, a 16-year-old girl committed suicide after she was given a country made pistol and asked to shoot her mother and two siblings by her father and uncle. The girl left behind a four-page suicide note.

Her body was found hanging in her room on April 16 when the incident took place in Shanti Nagar, Devri Road of Sadar police limits in Agra but the matter came to light only after a video made by the girl went viral on the social media.

The video, apparently made prior to the incident, shows the girl saying that she wanted to become a police officer and provide justice to her mother and elder brother and younger sister.

In the video clip, the girl, a student of Class 10, claimed that her uncle gave her a country made pistol and asked her to shoot her 38-year-old mother and two siblings, but instead, she had decided to take her own life.

She alleged that her father, two uncles and a cousin assaulted and mentally harassed her mother, two siblings and herself.

In her suicide note, the girl wrote, "I wanted to live, to see myself become a police officer and to provide justice to my mother and siblings. But I am ending my life, as I am tired now. We, all four, are mentally tortured and harassed on a daily basis by my father, two uncles and cousin over property."

The police have arrested her father on charges of abetment to suicide, while the rest of the accused are on the run.

The autopsy report stated 'asphyxia due to hanging' as the cause of the death.

The girl in her suicide note also stated that, "prior to marrying my mother, my father had murdered his first wife and her four children, including a foetus. My uncle, too, has served jail term. They molested me and did wrong things. They all must be given stringent punishment after my death."

According to the FIR lodged by the girl's mother, on the morning of April 16, the family was assaulted by the four men.

Later, in the afternoon, the girl was found dead. "The four men murdered my daughter, while I was out for work," alleged the mother.

Sadar SHO Kamlesh Kumar Singh said, "After the autopsy, a case of IPC section 302 (murder) was changed to 306 (abetment to suicide). We have arrested the father, but the others are still on the run."

"We are investigating all the allegations made by the girl prior to her suicide. We will add more sections as the case progresses," he said.

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A 35-year-old man, whose father died of coronavirus in Pune 10 days ago and four other family members are still in hospital after contracting the disease, is in a state of shock and not able to muster courage to inform his mother about the father's demise.

The man, who is into vegetable business here in Maharashtra, is also saddened by the insensitive approach of people around, who stopped interacting with his family in this hour of crisis. His 60-year-old father died at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital in Pune on April 9. The deceased had co- morbid health conditions as he was diabetic and paralytic, according to health officials.

While his father was undergoing treatment, the 35- year-old man's wife, his two daughters and brother also tested positive for the viral infection and are currently admitted at an isolation facility in the city.

The man said after his father was diagnosed pneumonia, the latter was referred to the Sassoon Hospital where he tested positive for coronavirus on April 6. "Later, swab samples of 12 other family members and high-risk contracts were taken and among these, my wife, brother and my two daughters tested positive. The rest of us, including me, my one-year-old son, and mother were sent back and quarantined at a health centre," he said.

On April 9, he got the shocking news of his father's death and could not believe it. "It was unexpected as he was stable. We are still not able to come to terms with this. The saddest part is no one from the family could see him for one last time after his death and we could not even attend his last rites," he said. The last rites of his father were performed by members of social outfit Mulnivasi Manch, led by Anjum Inamdar, at a city-based burial ground, he said.

The man had requested Inamdar to click some photos and videos of the last rites so that the family could see it. "Since four of my family members are still in the hospital, I don't have the courage to tell my mother that our father is no more. Though we are going through lot of stress, I am trying to behave normal in front of my mother who is already shaken by what the family is going through," he said. The man said he might break the news of his father's death to his mother once the other family members recover from the deadly disease and return home.

"We are trying to cope up with the situation, but what has saddened me more is the indifferent approach of people towards our family after my father tested positive for coronavirus," he said, adding that many people known to him stopped interacting or communicating with his family. The family of another Pune resident, who works as an electrician, is also suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak. His 50-year-old mother died of coronavirus at the Sassoon Hospital on April 14.

"It seems lives of all our family members have turned upside down after my mother's death. I am the sole breadwinner of my family. Since the lockdown, I am at home and trying to somehow managing our finances," he said.

Razi Khan, member of the Popular Front of India whose volunteers are closely working with the civic administration to perform last rites of coronavirus victims from the Muslim community, said till now they have buried 20 bodies in Pune. "We are burying the bodies which are not claimed by their family members as they are either quarantined or are kept in hospitals. In some of the cases, we managed to make the bereaved family members part of the last rites rituals through video calls," Khan said.

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In a tragic case of migrant labour crisis, a 12-year-old girl, working at a chilli farm in Telangana, collapsed and died on Saturday while trying to make her way back home in Bijapur district in Chhatisgarh, amid the Coronavirus lockdown. According to the officials, the deceased, Jamalo Madkam, who left home in Bijapur’s Aded village just two months ago, was barely 11 km away from reaching there when she collapsed, Indian Express reported.

Officials also said that Madkam is suspected to have died of electrolyte imbalance as she was walking for three days with 13 others working in Telangana to her village, covering the distance of 100 km. The girl has also tested for Coronavirus that came negative. The results of the test came a day after she died.

Other than Madkam, the group included three children and eight women. Madkam’s father Andoram said that he had heard she left with a group from Peruru village in Telangana on April 16. “They decided to come back after realising that the lockdown had got extended and they would not get any work,” he said.

They'd gone to Telangana to work in chilli fields. Since there's no mode of transportation they walked from Telangana. Her body was preserved&samples were sent for testing as a precautionary measure. It came negative so further action is being taken after postmortem: CMHO Bijapur https://t.co/UR23YXW71L

— ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2020

The girl was the only daughter of Andoram (32) and his wife Sukamati (30), who were barely surviving on forest produce until she went to Telangana for the first time to work on a chilli farm. He said that she had gone to work with some women from the village.

Medical Officer of Bijapur district Dr B R Pujari was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the group had walked through forests and in one place, the girl had a fall. The newspaper quoted sources saying that the girl had died at 8 am on Saturday when the group had reached the border of Bijapur district. They could not inform her family earlier as only among them carried a phone whose battery died.

When the group reached Bhandarpal village, they managed to inform the girl’s family by requesting a resident of the village to help them make a call to her parents. They also informed the police about the girl’s death to the police.

Pujari said that the medical team rushed to the spot as soon as they got the news. “Since Telangana had cases, we immediately sent our teams, but we couldn’t find them,” he said.  Then the team found the group who handed over Madkam’s body to them. The group was then sent to a quarantine facility whereas the girl’s body was sent to a morgue. Andoram and Sukamati collected the girl’s body on Sunday evening.

Chhatisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced Rs 1 lakh compensation for the girl’s family on Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Data: Public Health Department, Government of Maharashtra

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Days after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressed concern over alleged incidents of "Islamophobia" in India, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said India is heaven for Muslims and those trying to vitiate the atmosphere of prosperity cannot be their friends. Asserting that the social, economic and religious rights of Muslims are secure in India, Naqvi said "secularism and harmony" is not a "political fashion", but a "perfect passion" for India and Indians.

His remarks come after the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday urged India to take "urgent steps" to protect the rights of its minority Muslim community and stop the incidents of "Islamophobia" in the country. Asked about the OIC's criticism, Naqvi said, "We are doing our job with conviction. The prime minister whenever he speaks, he talks about the rights and welfare of 130 crore Indians." "If somebody cannot see this, then it is their problem. India's Muslims, its minorities, all its sections of the society, are prosperous and those people trying to vitiate this atmosphere of prosperity, they cannot be friends of Indian Muslims," he told reporters.

On criticism of India by scholars in Gulf nations, Naqvi said, "India is a heaven for Muslims and minorities." The social, economic and religious rights of Muslims are more secure and stronger in India than in other countries, he said. "If somebody is saying something with a prejudiced mindset, then he should look at the ground reality of this country and accept it," the minister said. "In this country, there is such a large population of Muslims. An analysis of their educational, social and economic conditions in the last five years should be looked at, their share in government jobs has increased and they have been educationally and economically empowered," Naqvi said. Muslims ave had an equal share in the progress of all sections and if India is progressing, the community is also progressing, he asserted.

"We should ensure that our strength of unity in diversity' is not get weakened under any circumstances, he said. "Professional bogus bashing brigades" are still active and conspiring to spread misinformation, Naqvi said. "We should remain cautious of such evil forces and we need to work unitedly to defeat their nefarious misinformation propaganda," Naqvi said. He also cautioned against fake news and conspiracies aimed at spreading misinformation, he said. The authorities have been working for safety and well-being of all citizens of the country and such type of rumours and conspiracies are a "nefarious design" to weaken the fight against coronavirus, Naqvi said. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire country is united in fight against coronavirus by breaking all barriers of caste, religion and region," he said.

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

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

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

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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 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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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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In a significant move, the Union cabinet on Wednesday amended the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1987 through an ordinance in order to ensure safety of health workers at a time when there has been a spate of attacks on them. Any violence against health workers may now bring steep fines and even imprisonments of up to seven years.

#Cabinet approves promulgation of Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 making such acts of violence as cognizable and non-bailable offences and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property

— K.S. Dhatwalia (@DG_PIB) April 22, 2020

This move comes hours after Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Nina Medical Association through a video conference, assuring them of safety and urging them to withdraw the symbolic protest scheduled for later this month against incidents of violence on health workers pressed into CVID-19 duty.

From now on, not just such violence is cognizable but also non-bailable offence. Additionally, it has provisions to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property, the government said on Wednesday.

K.S. Dhatwalia, Principal Spokesperson for the government, tweeted: "Ordinance would help protect healthcare service personnel and their living/working premises against violence".

"This actually helps protect the entire health fraternity including doctors, nurses, paramedics up to ASHA workers, " said Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar. The Minister said the amendment was necessitated after incidents of violence were witnessed against them while discharging their crucial duty for the country.

The amendment has ensured that the investigation takes place in a time-bound manner. A special provision is also made in the ordinance in case vehicles or clinics are damaged. In such cases, two times the cost will be recovered from assailants.

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

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

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

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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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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Business magnate Anand Mahindra often posts interesting and relatable posts in his #WhatsAppWonderbox series on his Twitter account. The latest tweet posted by the chairman of the Mahindra and Mahindra Group will take you down memory lane and remind you of some simpler things we had in life back then.

The nostalgia-inducing clip shows a series of school supplies, gadgets, and sweet treats that remind one of their childhood and take one back to the times before the internet came into existence. From geometry boxes, brown book covers, audio and video cassettes, tape recorders to wired telephones, walkmans, sweet treats, the video featured all the things and games that gave people immense joy back then. The video also showed products of once-popular brands and old packs of some of the existing brands in the market. To add to the nostalgia factor, veteran playback singer Kishore Kumar’s song Aane wala pal’ is played in the background of the video.

Mahindra captioned the post as, "To fellow baby-boomers out there; some heavy-duty nostalgia. My favourite was about putting brown paper covers on school notebooks with your mum." He also predicts that nostalgia could by a bankable factor for businesses after the Coronavirus outbreak.

To fellow baby-boomers out there; some heavy-duty nostalgia. My favourite was about putting brown paper covers on school notebooks with your mum. This also tells me that nostalgia will be even bigger business post-Covid, when we’ll hanker for the good old days #whatsappwonderbox pic.twitter.com/VriIiEUABO

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 23, 2020

The video that was posted on Thursday afternoon, managed to garner more than 48,000 views with over 5,200 likes and was retweeted more than1,100 times so far. Users commenting on the video shared their favourite treats of the past and fond memories of their childhood.

To fellow baby-boomers out there; some heavy-duty nostalgia. My favourite was about putting brown paper covers on school notebooks with your mum. This also tells me that nostalgia will be even bigger business post-Covid, when we’ll hanker for the good old days #whatsappwonderbox pic.twitter.com/VriIiEUABO

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 23, 2020

These were the little joys of life. Licking the pnkish-red tips of the Phantom cigarettes and applying them on our lips. Collecting the plastic animals that came with our Binaca toothpastes. How simple we were. How complicated we have become.

— Swapan Seth (@swapanseth) April 23, 2020

Sweet #childhood memories 😀Loved #Rasna and #Maggi (though missing in this video).Yes remember selecting #labelstickers for notebooks and playing with the then water and ring tabular games Vs today’s #PS4 consoles😄😄😄#Nostalgia

— Reshma Pai (@ReshmaPai15) April 23, 2020

Sweet #childhood memories 😀Loved #Rasna and #Maggi (though missing in this video).Yes remember selecting #labelstickers for notebooks and playing with the then water and ring tabular games Vs today’s #PS4 consoles😄😄😄#Nostalgia

— Reshma Pai (@ReshmaPai15) April 23, 2020

Sweet #childhood memories 😀Loved #Rasna and #Maggi (though missing in this video).Yes remember selecting #labelstickers for notebooks and playing with the then water and ring tabular games Vs today’s #PS4 consoles😄😄😄#Nostalgia

— Reshma Pai (@ReshmaPai15) April 23, 2020

How humble and pure innocence! True putting book covers is indeed nostalgic to recall! Your tweets show why you are what you are! True moral leadership in these unprecedented times! Every but if it helps. Keep it coming Mr. Mahindra!

— Ritesh Mishra (@RiteshGodda) April 23, 2020

Seems like am not alone who miss those days!

And the Golden days are gonna get bigger, day by day.

Anybody else remember receiving a packet of biscuit as a birthday present?

— Prashant (@Prshaant1) April 23, 2020

What do you think of the 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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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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Three State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) officials of Maharashtra have tested positive for COVID-19, while 96 other SRPF personnel have been put under quarantine, an official said. The team of SRPF Group-2 was posted in Mumbai for about two months and they returned to Pune on Monday. After returning, some of them had developed symptoms.

Those having symptoms were tested and out of them, three have tested positive. The positive SRPF personnel have been shifted to hospital.

With 778 new coronavirus cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 6,427 in Maharashtra on Thursday, said the state's health department.

Out of the total cases, 840 people have been discharged, added the health department.

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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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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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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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Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter on Friday morning informing that he will be interacting with 'Sarpanchs' from across the nation. He will also launch an unified e-GramSwaraj portal and a mobile app on National Panchayati Raj Day. "At 11 AM today, PM @narendramodi would be interacting with Sarpanchs from across the nation via video conferencing. All Sarpanchs will be able to join this interaction through Doordarshan, from their respective homes adhering to social distancing norms," Modi tweeted.

He added that the village heads who were participating and will be sharing their views with him will be doing so from a Common Service Centre close to them. National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on April 24 as it marks a defining moment in the history of decentralisation of power to the grassroots level, with the institutionalisation of Panchayati Raj through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on April 24, 1993.

The portal that PM Modi will launch is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj which will provide the gram panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

The Prime Minister will also launch the Swamitva Scheme on the occasion. The scheme provides for an integrated property validation solution for rural India; the demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas would be done by the use of latest surveying methods -- Drone technology with the collaborated efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 23, 2020

16

— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) April 23, 2020

16 🐅

— Prachi Desai (@ItsPrachiDesai) April 23, 2020

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

Now 18 pic.twitter.com/XohawpPAYf

— Ajay Singh (@Ajay_Singh56) April 23, 2020

16 pic.twitter.com/3GEj6MAe0h

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

16 pic.twitter.com/3GEj6MAe0h

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

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

— Ko Ka (@its_KoKaKoKa) April 23, 2020

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

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

@Ajay_Singh56 agree
18 tigers ðŸ§Â

— Richa Paliwal (@therichapaliwal) April 23, 2020

How many tigers were you able to find?

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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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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officers that no public gathering should be allowed in the state till June 30 amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Chief Minister has directed officers that no public gathering be allowed till 30th June. Further decision will be taken depending on the situation," Office of CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

The Chief Minister held a meeting with chairpersons of 11 committees of the state over the COVID-19 situation.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 1,621 coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh including 247 cured/discharged and 25 deaths.

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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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With 1,990 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's count of coronavirus cases has reached 26,496, said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. Out of these, 19,868 patients are active cases and 5804 cases have been cured, discharged, or migrated. The death toll stands at 824, with as many as 49 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. According to the morning update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit State with 7,628 cases of which 1,076 patients have recovered and 323 patients have died.

Gujarat now stands in the second spot with 3,071 cases, of which 282 have recovered and 133 people have died. Meanwhile, Delhi's count stands at 2,625 of which 869 patients have recovered, while 54 patients have lost their lives. Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure stands at 1,821 with 960 patients recovered and 23 fatalities. Rajasthan has reported 2,083 cases of which 493 have recovered and 33 patients are dead.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 2,096 positive cases so far of which 210 patients have recovered and 99 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Uttar Pradesh, as many as 1,793 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 261 recovered and 27 people have succumbed to it. In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 457 people have been detected positive for coronavirus.

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As the deadly coronavirus infection spreads fast in India and elsewhere, even faster is the spread of fake news regarding the pandemic and experts warn this 'infodemic' can have huge economic costs for companies across the world in addition to health concerns for the public at large. While authorities have announced severe penal actions for those spreading fake news regarding this pandemic, which has already caused nearly 2 lakh deaths globally with more than 28 lakh infections since its outbreak in China last December, widespread misinformation surrounding the disease has seen people drinking disinfectants and industrial alcohol while trying various rumoured treatments.

False claims and fake news, mostly forwarded through social media platforms, have also led to several cases of religion-based attacks, hate speeches and other discriminatory activities, while cyber frauds are also on the rise with scamsters seeking to take advantage of the crisis situation. In addition to the damages caused to public health and societal behaviour, experts warn the undeterred wave of fake news poses a huge risk to corporates, for whom it becomes difficult at times to filter out the right information that is crucial for them to ensure success of their business continuity, especially when almost the entire world is locked down.

Farah Lalani, who is a community creator for media, entertainment and information industries at the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), said businesses need to be proactive about calling out misinformation that is spreading about their brand, directing customers to official channels and making sure there is always clear and up to date information on all their social accounts. "While bad actors, fraudsters, and uninformed users can spread fabricated or misleading information, if businesses collaborate closely with the entire media ecosystem and regulatory bodies, they can start to work together to solve this very challenging problem," she told PTI.

In India, some organisations including industry bodies and advocacy groups have begun compiling official and credible information about the COVID-19 fight and the ongoing lockdown to help companies in their preparedness for tackling the crisis. Leading advocacy group Chase India, which was among the first to start this practice right from the initial days of the COVID-19 crisis emerging as a major threat in the country, has been sending across multiple daily updates to its clients, including on the latest actions taken by the central and state governments and also on initiatives being taken by various corporates.

Experts said the correct information is necessary for companies to help them understand, analyse and then implement various new guidelines being issued by the central and state governments. "In today's circumstances, besides the current public health crisis of COVID-19 and socio-economic impact related to climate change, one of the biggest concerns is legitimate and timely sourcing of information," Chase India's co-founder and Executive Vice President Manash K Neog said.

"As a public policy consultancy, our key challenge during the pre-lockdown phase was to mitigate frenzy around rumours of lockdown for our clients as it was creating panic for the operational teams of clients. "Further to that, we have institutionalised mechanisms such as our hourly and daily COVID-19 advisory trackers for the central and state governments to support clients with timely and authentic information basis which they are able to better plan their business continuity strategies," he added.

According to experts, companies are working hard to ensure timely access to right information as costs could be too high for them if they fall for some misinformation and in such a situation the role of media is also very important. Releasing a new survey recently, which found that just about one-fourth of the consumers in India currently pay for news but nearly two-thirds are willing to pay, the WEF said the current coronavirus challenge further emphasises the indispensable role that the media plays in society today.

With social media becoming the main platform for spread of false claims, giants like Facebook and Twitter have also begun deleting such posts and taking other actions. Some of the posts deleted on such grounds include those of public figures as well, the most famous being posts shared by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in which he had claimed anti-malaria prescription drug hydroxychloroquine was an effective treatment for COVID-19.

Twitter had also deleted a post by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in which he had apparently endorsed a "brew" for eliminating infectious genes. Various social media platforms have also imposed several restrictions on advertisements claiming various cures for COVID-19, while hate content regarding the pandemic is also being dealt with sternly. However, all these steps have not been able to totally eradicate the fake news flow, which the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described as 'infodemic' in the context of the novel coronavirus.

"We are not just fighting an epidemic, we are fighting an infodemic," he said, referring to fake news as something that "spreads faster and more easily than this virus". United Nations' chief Antonio Guterres too said last month that an "infodemic of misinformation" was also an enemy that we all need to fight while battling COVID-19.

"To overcome the coronavirus, we need to urgently promote 'facts and science' and 'hope and solidarity' over despair and division," he said.

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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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The Maharashtra government may extend the lockdown in the coronavirus-hit urban areas of the state after May 3, an official said on Sunday. The state government is closely monitoring the situation in areas outside the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati, a senior state official said. "It is the cities where most of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated. If the state has to relax its current stringent lockdown measures, it would be in rural and least affected
areas of the state. However, we are looking at the scenario as rural and urban areas are connected," he said.

Despite minimum COVID-19 cases in rural areas of Pune district, the industries there have not resumed because most of their workforce live in cities, he said. We need to work out some plans for every city or district-wise to get things moving. The administration needs more time to come up with solutions, hence it is highly unlikely to lift the lockdown restrictions May 3 onwards in all parts of the state, the official said.

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope had on Saturday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is not coming down. "The state is yet to reach a stage where the number of coronavirus cases would stabilise. Till then, we cannot take the risk of allowing people to gather at public places in large numbers, Tope said.

The minister, however, said the state government would take a collective decision on what to do once the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3.

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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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As the world struggles to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to the people to shun the habit of spitting in public places. Pointing out that it was a case of "better late than never", the Prime Minister said society has understood the negative impact of the spitting habit, which affects health and cleanliness of surroundings.

"We in India always knew that spitting in public places is wrong. Yet, it continued in places. Now is the best time to ensure we do not spit," Modi said in the 64th edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. "This will increase basic hygiene and strengthen the fight against COVID-19."

The Prime Minister's address came at a time when the entire country is under complete lockdown -- a measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has so far claimed 824 lives and over 19,800 confirmed cases across the country.

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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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A prolonged lockdown may possibly push millions of Indians into the "margins of subsistence", former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Sunday while expecting a 'V' curved recovery once the COVID-19 crisis ends and the turnaround in India to be faster than some economies.

He was participating in a webinar on 'History repeats but differently – Lessons for the post Corona World', organised by the Manthan Foundation, in which former deputy governor of RBI, Usha Thorat took part.

"Because most analysts believe that this year India will actually have negative growth or growth will contract. We must remember that even ahead of the crisis two months ago our growth slowed. Now it has completely stopped. Last year growth was five per cent. Just imagine, five per cent growth last year and we are going to negative or zero growth this year, a decline of five per cent growth," he said. "It is true that India is going to perform in this crisis better than most other countries. But that is no consolation.... Because we are a very poor country and if the crisis persists and if the lockdown is not lifted soon enough, it is quite possible that millions of people will be pushed into the margins of subsistence, he said when asked about his views on the present situation.

Subbarao said that as predicted by analysts, India will have a V shaped recovery which is far better than most of the other countries. "And why do we expect a 'V' shaped recovery? Because unlike in a cyclone or in an earthquake, this is not a natural disaster constraint. No capital has been destroyed. Factories are standing. Our shops are still standing. Our people are ready to work as soon as the lockdown is lifted. So it is quite possible the recovery will be V shaped and while we have a V shaped recovery, I think India has a better chance than most of the countries," he opined.

According to him, India's recovery was faster than many other countries after the 2008 global financial crisis. On IMF's prediction that India may grow at 1.9 per cent during the current year against about five per cent in the last fiscal, Subbarao said many analysts feel that the
prediction is outdated and the growth in GDP may slip into negative. Agencies

826
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

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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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