News Analysis India

Tag: Coronavirus Outbreak

  • COVID-19 pandemic far from over, no room for carelessness or complacency: PM Narendra Modi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the sight of crowded places with people not following COVID-19 norms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that there should be no space for carelessness or complacency and that a single mistake would have far-reaching impact and may weaken the fight against the pandemic.

    This is not a pleasant sight and it should instill a “sense of fear in us”, Modi said referring to pictures and videos of crowded places doing the rounds as he interacted with members of the Council of Ministers a day after he reshuffled and expanded it.

    People are seen without wearing masks or following the social distancing norms, he said, according to sources.

    He stressed India’s fight against the pandemic is underway with full vigour with the vaccination programme going on steadily and testing numbers also consistently high.

    “He added that in such a time, there should be no space for carelessness or complacency. A single mistake would have far-reaching impacts and weaken the fight to overcome COVID-19,” a source said.

    “The PM said that with the Covid infection numbers being fewer than what they were in the recent months, people may want to venture out. However, everyone must remember that the threat of COVID-19 is far from over. Many other nations are seeing surges in infections. The virus is also mutating,” he added.

    Modi told the ministers that the aim should not be to instill fear but to request people to keep taking all possible precautions so that the nation is able to move beyond this pandemic in the times to come.

    In the meeting, he expressed concern at the persistently high number of Covid cases coming from Maharashtra and Kerala, the sources said.

    He also asked his ministers to reach office on time and channelise all their energy into their ministerial work, saying their focus should be on helping the most deprived people.

    He said the new ministers can meet their predecessors and learn from their experience, the sources said.

    He told the new ministers that those no longer part of the government have made contributions and newcomers can learn from them, the sources said.

    In a word of advice, he said it is the work that only matters and the ministers should not get trapped in the vicious circle of grabbing media attention.

    He said ministers should avoid making unnecessary statements.

  • COVID situation in India vastly improved, hope countries would ease travel restrictions: MEA

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs Thursday said it hopes that with the COVID-19 situation in India vastly improved, foreign nations would ease travel restrictions from India, and asserted that it is taking up the issue with partners, including in the Gulf.

    MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the government is actively trying to help Indians who need to travel back to various countries across the world.

    “As we have said earlier, we hope that with the vastly improved Covid situation in India, countries would ease restrictions for travel from India. We have been taking up this issue with foreign partners wherever possible,” Bagchi said when asked about problems being faced by Indians in traveling to other countries, especially Gulf nations.

    He also said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan recently held a meeting with Indian Ambassadors in Gulf countries.

    “Our Ambassadors were requested to take up with their host countries the issue of resumption of flights with India,” he said, referring to the meeting.

    The external affairs minister has also raised this issue during bilateral meetings on the margins of the recently held G-20 ministerial meeting in Italy, Bagchi told an online media briefing.

    Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has also raised with his counterparts the issue of normalisation of travel and mobility of students, professionals and enabling family reunions, he said.

    “So, in summary, we are actively trying to help Indians who need to travel back to various countries across the world,” the MEA spokesperson said.

    On a question on the extradition of Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi from Dominica and the UK respectively, Bagchi said he had no update to share on the legal proceedings underway in the cases and added that the ministry would continue to closely follow developments in this regard.

    Asked about Britain’s Cairn Energy Plc securing a French court order to seize some 20 Indian government properties in Paris to recover a part of the USD 1.72 billion due from New Delhi following an arbitration panel overturning levy of retrospective taxes, Bagchi told the media to refer to the Finance Ministry statement on it.

    The Finance Ministry has said it has not received any order from any French court and will take appropriate legal remedies after it gets an order.

    On the criticism from some international quarters over the death of rights activist Father Stan Swamy, Bagchi said the MEA had issued a statement on it a couple of days ago and there was nothing to add to that.

    India had on Tuesday rejected such criticism and said the due process of law was followed in his case and that the authorities act against violations of law and do not restrain legitimate exercise of rights.

    Eighty-four-year-old Stan Swamy, who was arrested last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday.

    Asked about the issue of French probe into the Rafale jets deal, Bagchi asked the media to refer to the Defence Ministry over the issue.

  • Actively pursuing enhancement of COVID vaccine availability through imports: Government

    The total number of vaccine doses administered so far has reached 36.48 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive.

  • COVID vaccination won’t resume in Gujarat for next two days

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Wednesday said the COVID-19 vaccination drive will remain suspended in the state for two more days, but did not spell out the reason.

    The state government had halted the anti-coronavirus vaccination on Wednesday due to `Mamata Diwas’, a day observed as part of the ongoing universal immunization program for pregnant women, additional chief secretary (health) Manoj Aggarwal had said earlier.

    A release issued by the state health department at night said that COVID-19 vaccination will be suspended on Thursday and Friday too.

    It did not give any reason.

    The drive was halted on Wednesday as during Mamata Diwas healthcare workers check on pregnant women and administer them iron and vitamin tablets besides giving vaccine shots of BCG, polio and rubella to women, children and infants, according to the government.

    Officials were not available for clarifying if there was a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

    So far 2,73,25,191 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Gujarat, including 2,17,786 on Tuesday.

  • India coming out of second wave of COVID, will witness strong economic recovery: S Jaishankar

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India is coming out of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and it will witness a strong economic recovery and contribute to being an engine of growth for the global economy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

    In a virtual address at the inaugural session of the Indo-Pacific business summit, he said India will be a more dynamic and friendlier business destination and it will be part of more reliable and resilient supply chains that the post-Covid world requires.

    He also said that the Indo-Pacific will be an arena of particular “activity and energy”, noting that the evolving situation in the region reflected the reality of globalisation, the emergence of multipolarity and the benefits of rebalancing.

    “India is coming out of the second wave and will witness a strong economic recovery. It will be a more dynamic and friendlier business destination. We will contribute to being an engine of growth for the global economy,” Jaishankar said.

    “And we will be very much a part of more reliable and resilient supply chains that the post-Covid world requires. International cooperation, especially among businesses, will be very much a key to the better world that we all seek,” he said.

    The external affairs minister also listed measures taken by the government to boost growth in areas of agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing and tourism.

    “And all of this is encapsulated by a framework that envisages an India of deeper strengths, greater capacities and more responsibility. And not least, in making it much easier to do business,” he said.

    Referring to the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said the region represents a “return of history”.

    “A seamless and integrated space was disconnected decades ago by the strategy of the day. Today, as many Indian Ocean economies trade further east and as Pacific ones too have displayed a presence south and westwards, we are quite sensibly seeing the landscape for what it really is,” he said.

    “Indo-Pacific reflects the reality of globalization, the emergence of multi-polarity and the benefits of rebalancing. It means the overcoming of the Cold War and a rejection of bipolarity and dominance. Most of all, it is an expression of our collective interest in promoting global prosperity and securing the global commons,” he added.

    He said the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) advanced by India clearly validates “this assertion”.

    “As we speak of common good and common efforts, it is natural that this is addressed, amongst other means, through a business summit. So once again, I am so glad to welcome you all to it,” he said.

    At the East Asia summit in Bangkok in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed setting up the IPOI to conserve and sustainably use the maritime domain and to make meaningful efforts to create a safe and secure maritime domain.

    The evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of China’s increasing military muscle-flexing has become a major talking point among leading global powers.

    Several countries and blocs have come out with their vision for the Indo-Pacific considering its growing strategic interests.

    “The transformation of the last decade is today over-shadowed, unfortunately, by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jaishankar said.

    He said has disrupted our supply chains, negatively impacted manufacturing, made international trade unpredictable and ruined many services sectors.

    “Globalised production networks remain vulnerable and fragile, with global merchandise trade falling by 5.6 per cent in 2020, compared to 2019 and the predicted trade in services declining by as much as 15.4 per cent in the same duration,” he said.

    “This decline in merchandise trade is the sharpest since 2009, whereas the decline in services trade is the biggest since 1990. The hit taken by travel, transport and tourism activities is alarming and really moves us into unchartered territory,” he added.

  • COVID-19: CBSE to conduct surprise inspection at schools preparing results for class 10, 12

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed its regional offices to conduct a surprise inspection at schools preparing class 10 and 12 results to ensure the assessment policy issued by it is implemented effectively.

    With the board exams being cancelled in view of the aggressive second wave of COVID-19, schools have been tasked with tabulation of results using separate alternative assessment policy announced by the CBSE for the two classes.

    “To ensure that policy issued by CBSE is implemented effectively, it has been decided that schools be immediately visited by the officials of the regional offices to verify the work done by the schools under their jurisdiction,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said in a letter to regional offices.

    “In order to have actual information of the result work of the schools, it may be ensured that while visiting the schools, no prior intimation be given to the schools and only sudden inspection is carried out. For completing this responsibility, it is necessary that all the officials involved in this work get themselves fully accustomed to the tabulation policy of the board,” he added.

    The board has directed that the schools may be inspected in such a manner that at least each category of schools– private, government, KVS (Kendriya Vidyalaya Samiti) and NVS (Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti) — is covered.

    “A point wise report may be prepared of each school by the official concerned. The official visiting the school will also sign on documents inspected especially rationale documents.

    “A complete report duly signed by officials along with the soft copy of the documents be sent to the board by July 12,” he added.

  • 73 districts reported over 10 per cent COVID positivity rate in June 29-July 5 week: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: About 73 districts across 17 states and union territories reported more than 10 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate in the week from June 29 to July 5, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

    Eight out of the 17 states and UTs are from the northeastern part of the country, according to the data presented by the ministry.

    Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary in the health ministry Lav Agarwal said these 73 districts include Arunachal Pradesh (18), Rajasthan (10), Manipur (9), Kerala (7), Meghalaya (6), Tripura (4), Sikkim (4), Odisha (3), Nagaland (3), Assam (2) and Mizoram (1).

    These districts reported more than 10 per cent Covid positivity rate in the week from June 29 to July 5, he said.

    On the rise in Covid cases in the northeast, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said, “We are encouraging the northeast states to do more testing and increase their reporting of testing because the problem there is that heavy testing is going on there so we have to ensure that testing continues in a rapid scale there.”

    According to sources, the health ministry will be writing to the states that are reporting high positivity in India.

    Bhargava said testing has played such a key role in the fight against this Covid pandemic and testing has to continue at a “very very high level”.

    “Today, we have about 73 districts which have more than 10 per cent positivity. We have about 65 districts, which have about 5-10 per cent positivity and 595 districts, where it is below five per cent,” he said.

    Bhargava further said district specific measures should continue to be guided by test positivity rate.

  • ‘Shameless PM’ failed to handle COVID crisis, meet vaccine demands: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Centre has failed to meet the vaccine requirements of the state, forcing her dispensation to make purchases on its own, and described Narendra Modi as “a shameless prime minister” who has his picture pasted everywhere – from hoardings to inoculation certificates.

    Banerjee, during her address in the Assembly, said that Bengal has received two crore shots so far, which is “very inadequate”, given the state’s population, and administering free doses to all under such circumstances was a challenge for her government.

    “We have already vaccinated 2.26 crore people. And for that, we had to buy at least 26 lakh doses on our own, despite promises by the Centre that it would provide the required number of doses,” she stated.

    The chief minister also sought to know why money from the PM Cares Fund wasn’t used to bear the expenses of the vaccination drive in the country.

    She claimed that the Centre, due to its “faulty” policies, couldn’t handle the COVID crisis well.

    “Notwithstanding the Centre’s ham-handed policies, we have been able to contain the virus. Our shameless PM has failed the country but his picture is found everywhere — from vaccine certificates to hoardings. I have seen many prime ministers, but none so shameless….” Banerjee said.

    Bengal has started making preparations for the possible third wave of the pandemic, she noted.

    Taking a dig at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, she said, “For days, we saw bodies floating in rivers. Some bodies floated downstream and reached our state. Do they even know how many died in UP (due to the pandemic)? Don’t they feel ashamed?” Those who point fingers at Bengal should look in the mirror, the TMC supremo said, lashing out at Adityanath, who had criticised the TMC dispensation at BJP’s poll campaigns.

    Continuing her tirade against the saffron camp, she said its members “do not know courtesy and decency” as was evident from the ruckus they created during Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s inaugural speech in the Assembly on July 2.

    Dhankhar had to table his address, after reading out a few lines of his 18-page speech, amid protests by BJP MLAs over incidents of post-poll violence in the state.

    Banerjee further said that the incumbent governor, chosen by the BJP leadership at the Centre, should have been allowed to address the House by the party’s MLAs in the state.

    “I have seen BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh to Sushma Swaraj…This BJP, however, is different. They (BJP members) do not know culture, courtesy, decency and civility,” the chief minister said during her speech in the House, after thanking the governor for his inaugural address.

    The CM, referring to allegations of post-poll violence against TMC workers, said it was the members of the ruling party that endured attacks when the state was under the Election Commission’s supervision for assembly elections.

    She maintained that stray incidents of violence were reported after the election results were declared, and her government has taken action in all such cases.

    In a jibe at the poll panel, she said, “The EC shifted district magistrates, police superintendents and others at the whims of its observers, who were from their own party (BJP).

    “For three months, they (EC) issued threats…But the people of Bengal showed them that you cannot threaten a state in this manner,” she said.

    Earlier, too, the TMC boss had alleged that the EC works at the behest of the BJP-led Centre.

    Accusing the saffron party of plotting conspiracies, she said, “During and immediately after the elections, the BJP circulated fake videos to spread hatred. We have photos, we have evidence. I will place these on your (speaker’s) table,” Banerjee said submitting a bunch of photos to the House. Alleging that the BJP is trying to divide the state, the CM said, “Bengal is beautiful. Bengal is united. We won’t let that happen at any cost.”

    Two BJP MPs have recently raised demands for Bengal’s division – one in north Bengal and the other in Jangalmahal – drawing flak from the TMC and other parties.

    Highlighting her government’s achievements, the CM said, “Bengal occupies the number one spot when it comes to generating employment under the 100 days’ work scheme. We are also ahead of all in developing rural roads in the country… We have set up 186 kishan mandis, 24 medical colleges.

    “Take a look at the development initiatives in North Bengal. From universities to medical colleges, from river bridges to academies for Rajbangshis, Kamtapuris and other linguistic communities, we have done it all,” she pointed out, countering BJP’s charge that the region has seen little growth over the last decade.

    Trashing the charge of central fund mismanagement, the TMC supremo said the Union government did not pay anything from its coffers for disaster relief.

    “The Centre provided very little from the disaster fund, something that the state was already entitled to…Yet, they (BJP leaders) went to town over the matter,” she said.

    The CM noted that around 2.75 crore people have benefited from the 33,000 camps set up as part of her government’s Duare Sarkar (government at doorstep) initiative.

    “Next year, the government will embark on the drive again at least twice,” she said.

    Banerjee also said that her dispensation will observe ‘Khela hobe’ divas to promote sporting activities, but the date for the same was yet to be decided.

    ‘Khela Hobe’ (game will be played) was TMC’s campaign slogan for assembly elections.

    “If the opposition is unable to see any development, despite all our efforts, there is nothing more that can be said about it. They (BJP leaders), however, are unfazed about the rising fuel process. Shame on such a party and its people,” she added.

  • Chhattisgarh wedding hall owner, parents of bride, groom fined Rs 9.50 lakh for COVID-19 norm violation

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: In a first-of-its-kind action, the administration in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district imposed a collective fine of around Rs 9.50 lakh on a marriage hall owner and parents of a newly-wed couple for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms as the number of guests in attendance was several times more than the permitted limit, officials said on Monday.

    On the direction of Surguja Collector Sanjeev Jha, an investigation was conducted into the wedding function held at Chairasiya Marriage Garden in Transport Nagar on July 2, and it revealed that over 1,000 people had attended, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Ambikapur, Pradip Sahu said in a statement.

    This despite the outbreak guidelines laid down by the district only allowing 50 guests at wedding functions, the SDM said.

    “The venue owner Virendra Chairasiya was fined Rs 4.75 lakh while a fine of Rs 2.37 lakh each was imposed on Saroj Sahu, the groom’s father, and Prakash Sahu, the bride’s father. They have been told to deposit the fine with the Ambikapur municipal corporation. The wedding hall has been sealed,” Sahu informed.

  • Goa government extends COVID-19 curfew by week, but allows restricted gatherings

    By PTI
    PANAJI: The Goa government on Sunday extended till July 12 the current state-level curfew that is in place to curb the COVID-19 cases, but allowed social, political, cultural gatherings, marriages and other congregations of up to 100 people or 50 per cent of the venue capacity.

    The casinos in the state, however, will continue to remain shut till July 12.

    “Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural gatherings, marriages and other congregations are allowed with 100 people or 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue,” the government said in a notification, which announced the extension of the curfew period.

    The curfew, which was first imposed on May 9, has since been extended from time to time considering the number of infections in the coastal state.

    The previous extension was up to July 5.

    The notification says that indoor sports complexes, auditoriums, community halls or similar places, river cruises, water-parks, entertainment parks, gym, spa, massage parlours, cinema halls, theatres and other establishments will continue to remain shut during the curfew period.

    Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutes will also continue to remain closed for students, except for holding competitive examinations after taking prior permission from the authorities, it said.

    Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 164 to reach 1,67,436 on Sunday, while the death of four patients took its fatality count to 3,073.