Budget 2018-19

  India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu held an interaction with members of the business community on the current Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu held an interaction with members of the business community on the current COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country. The virtual meeting was hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. During the talks, Sandhu appraised the business community of the items that India is trying to identify and source, including oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators and oxygen generation plants and  COVID-19 -related drugs like remdesivir and tocilizumab. “Appreciated the Chamber for coordinating the swift response and resource mobilization by the US business community in support of India to meet the Covid challenge,” Sandhu said in a tweet.

  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday announced a special package for the setting up of medical oxygen production plants with various incentives and facilities To prevent high number of casualties from Covid-19, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday announced a special package for the setting up of medical oxygen production plants with various incentives and facilities. According to the official release, the decision is aimed to overcome the medical oxygen shortage caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in the state. To get the advantage of the package, an investment of Rs 1 crore will be required and the plant will have to generate oxygen by September 30, 2021. “Under the package, these entrepreneurs will be exempted from the regulatory approvals and inspections for three years as per the provisions of the MSME Act, 2019,” the release reads. The state government will also help in getting necessary approvals from the central government, and an early connection of...

  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked all Ayush practitioners to join the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked all Ayush practitioners to join the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In a virtual interaction with Ayush practitioners, late on Thursday evening, Yogi Adityanath said that they should provide treatment to Covid patients. Ayush doctors have been asked to coordinate with local administration and the Integrated Command and Control Centre to create awareness and offer treatment. “There are currently 2.52 lakh people in home isolation and doctors of Ayush, homeopathy and Unani should be given access to them to give them consultation. The Ayush department should distribute kadha in every home,” the Chief Minister said. He further said that a team comprising Ayush, Homeopathy and Unani doctors should be set up in each district and this team should give advice on health to people. They should also be link...

  One person was killed and two others injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded during refilling at Panki oxygen plant in Dada Nagar industrial area here on Friday morning One person was killed and two others injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded during refilling at Panki oxygen plant in Dada Nagar industrial area here on Friday morning.According to the police, the accident took place during oxygen cylinder refilling. The deceased was identified as Imrad Ali, an oxygen plant worker, the police said. One injured is undergoing treatment at the Lala Lajpat Rai hospital while another person was discharged after administering the first aid. Further details are awaited.

  US President Joe Biden has urged Congress to pass the comprehensive immigration reform, asserting that immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic US President Joe Biden has urged Congress to pass the comprehensive immigration reform, asserting that immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic as they have throughout the country’s history. On the day one of his presidency, Biden sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress which proposes major overhauls to the system, including granting legal status and a path to citizenship to tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants and other groups and reduce the time that family members must wait outside the US for the much-sought green cards. Immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic as they have throughout our history. The country supports immigration reform. Congress should act, Biden said in his maiden address to a joint session of the  US Congress  on Wednesday. Immig...

  Maharashtra police have filed an FIR against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh after a police inspector levelled corruption charges against him, a senior official said on Thursday Maharashtra police have filed an FIR against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh after a police inspector levelled corruption charges against him, a senior official said on Thursday. The FIR has been registered at Akola in Vidarbha against Singh, DCP Parag Manere and 26 other policemen. The city Kotwali police in Akola registered the FIR against the police personnel under various sections ranging from criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989. Akola police filed a Zero FIR (mode of lodging FIR in any police station irrespective of the offence committed in that area or any other area) at the Kotwali police station and it has been transferred to the Thane city police, the official ...

  Shiv Sena on Thursday slammed the Central government over the ‘Covid-crisis’ across the country. It has also hit out at the Supreme Court for being a ‘spectator’ till now In an editorial in its mouthpiece “Saamana”, the Shiv Sena on Thursday slammed the Central government over the ‘COVID-crisis’ across the country. It has also hit out at the Supreme Court for being a ‘spectator’ till now.The Supreme Court, itself ‘confirmed’ that the Narendra Modi-led Central government has failed in handling the COVID-19 situation across the country, Shiv Sena said. It said that the health infrastructure in the country has collapsed and the shortage of medical oxygen, beds, and vaccine is a matter of concern. Taking a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party, the publication said, “From whom the BJP leaders will seek resignation over the remarks made by the apex court? The BJP asked for resignation from the state government over the fire incidents in COVID hospitals in Maharashtra. The cremation grounds a...

  Lender says it aims to provide services in ‘one single place’ to more than 20 million retail merchants. ICICI Bank on Thursday launched digital banking services for more than 20 million retail merchants in the country. “Merchant Stack” will provide grocers, supermarkets, large retail store chains, online businesses, and large e-commerce firms with an array of banking services in ‘one single place’. The private lender said its research showed the retail merchant segment needs services such as digital and instant account opening, multiple digital collection options, as well as instant working capital availability in one place quick working capital availability, among other things. The services include “Super Merchant Account”, which is a zero balance account linked to the usage of the bank’s POS (Point-of-Sale) facilities, two instant credit facilities called ‘merchant overdraft’ and ‘express credit’, ‘digital store management’ facility to help merchants take their business online....

  A day after declaring the Ashoka Hotel a dedicated Covid facility for judges of Delhi High Court and their family members, the Delhi government withdrew the order after the court took exception. A day after declaring the Ashoka Hotel a dedicated Covid facility for judges of Delhi High Court and their family members, the Delhi government withdrew the order after the court took exception. “Issued directions to withdraw this order immediately,” Deputy Chief Minister  Manish Sisodia  responded to a tweet citing how 100 rooms at the Ashoka Hotel will be converted into a Covid facility for the judges, other judicial members of the Delhi High Court and their families. On Monday, the Delhi government authorised the Primus Hospital to run a Covid care facility at the Ashoka Hotel for the judges of Delhi High Court and their family members. Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court took suo motu cognizance of reports on the issue and asserted that it had not made any request for c...

  With millions of lives at stake amid a rapid spread of Covid-19, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said he hoped President Joe Biden would call the Pfizer CEO to let India produce its vaccine With millions of lives at stake amid a rapid spread of COVID-19, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said he hoped President Joe Biden would call the Pfizer CEO to let India produce its vaccine at least for six months or a year. Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in the US House of Representatives, has been an ardent supporter of the move by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver of COVID-19 vaccines. “Allow India to develop that vaccine, and this is good in your own long-term interests. It’s good for the United States and our interests with the role with India and the rest of the world,” Khanna told the media. Major pharma companies like  Pfizer  and Moderna and organisations li...

  The space race between the world’s two richest men went into hyperdrive on Tuesday after Tesla chief Elon Musk took a swipe at Jeff Bezos’ attempt to challenge a major NASA contract (Reuters) -The space race between the world’s two richest men went into hyperdrive on Tuesday after Tesla chief Elon Musk took a swipe at Jeff Bezos’ attempt to challenge a major NASA contract. The two billionaires, who have been trying to launch long-range orbital rockets, were competing for a coveted contract from the government to build a spaceship to deliver astronauts to the moon as early as 2024. Musk won. Bezos was not happy. Bezos’ Blue Origin on Monday filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), accusing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of moving the goalposts for contract bidders at the last minute. Musk, who also leads  SpaceX , fired back with a tweet that said: “Can’t get it up (to orbit) lol.” ( https://bit.ly/3npEc0Z ) He did not elabora...

  The Indian economy is projected to grow at 11 per cent in the current financial year amid the “strong” vaccine drive, said ADB on Wednesday The Indian economy is projected to grow at 11 per cent in the current financial year amid the “strong” vaccine drive, said ADB on Wednesday, while cautioning that the recent surge in COVID cases may put the country’s economic recovery at “risk”. “India’s  economy  is expected to grow 11 per cent in fiscal year (FY) 2021, which ends on March 31, 2022, amid a strong vaccine drive,” ADB said in its flagship Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021 released on Wednesday. However, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) cautioned that the surge in COVID-19 cases may put the country’s economic recovery at risk. For FY2022, India’s GDP is expected to expand at 7 per cent, it added. Further, it said the gross domestic product (GDP) of South Asia is expected to rebound to 9.5 per cent this year, following a contraction of 6 per cent in 2020, before mod...

  Supplemental oxygen makes the difference between life and death for many Covid-19 patients. The desperate scenes playing out in India may foreshadow a dangerous new phase of the pandemic where people die in droves, not of the disease so much as a lack of proper medical care. The situation could get a lot worse thanks to a sudden shortage of medical oxygen in the country.Oxygen is one of most straightforward and proactive ways of treating the disease, which causes hypoxia. When patients begin gasping for air, a steady supply of concentrated oxygen does wonders. It may seem like an obvious treatment in hindsight, yet it took nearly two centuries to overcome strange theories, outright quackery and trench warfare in the medical community and beyond.Oxygen’s history in medicine begins in the 1770s, when the Swedish pharmacist Karl Scheele and the British scientist Joseph Priestly independently isolated oxygen gas. Priestly unfairly received the lion’s share of the credit. To make matt...

  Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday announced to contribute to the PM-Cares Fund as a token of solidarity with fellow Indian brothers and sisters Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday announced to contribute to the PM-Cares Fund as a token of solidarity with fellow Indian brothers and sisters. “I have been following the continuing challenge that the Covid-19 pandemic has been posing across the world, including in India, with concern,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement. “At this critical time, during this alarming Covid-19 surge, I have asked the  Dalai Lama Trust  to make a donation to the PM-CARES Fund as a token of our solidarity with fellow Indian brothers and sisters. “May I take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for all the efforts that are being made to tackle this devastating pandemic, especially by those courageously working on the frontline. I pray that the pandemic threat will end soon,” the elderly Buddhist monk add...

  The Gurugram police have imposed fines on 1,59,602 people since March last year including 739 on April 25, 2021 against offenders of Covid protocols, the police said The Gurugram police have imposed fines on 1,59,602 people since March last year including 739 on April 25, 2021 against offenders of Covid protocols, the police said.The police also informed that fines amounting to more than Rs 7.98 crore were collected from the violators since March last year till April 25, 2021. Face masks were made compulsory for everyone in Gurugram since lockdown was first imposed in March 2020 and not wearing one was made a punishable offence.So far the police have acted against people in markets and crowded places, containment zones and streets. Shopkeepers, two wheelers and auto rickshaw drivers were also booked, police said. “Amid surge in Covid cases, strict instructions were issued to concerning officers including area station house officers (SHOs) to implement Covid norms effectively. Sev...

  After days of scrambling for oxygen, hospitals in Delhi on Tuesday said they are in a comparatively better situation in terms of supply and have reopened admissions After days of scrambling for oxygen, hospitals in Delhi on Tuesday said they are in a comparatively better situation in terms of supply and have reopened admissions. Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital, medical facilities across the city and its suburbs put out desperate pleas for help on social media and other platforms last week, flagging their dwindling stock of oxygen. Dr D K Baluja, medical director of Jaipur Golden Hospital said the hospital has enough supply to last the day. “We are in a very comfortable situation today. The daily requirement of oxygen is 3.6 metric tonnes and we have about six tonnes available which will last for the entire day. It is quite a comfortable situation.” The hospital also thanked the Delhi government and the Indian Railways for supplying oxygen to it. “...

Air India’s A102 is transporting five tonnes (5000kg) of oxygen concentrators as cargo from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and is scheduled to land in Delhi by Monday noon Washington [US], April 26 (ANI): Over three hundred oxygen concentrators have been dispatched on Sunday morning from New York to India, according to a Government of India official based in the United States. Air India’s A102 is transporting five tonnes (5000kg) of oxygen concentrators as cargo from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and is scheduled to land in Delhi by Monday noon. The wide-bodied passenger aircraft will operate non-stop for over 15 hours. India is witnessing a deadly COVID-19 wave, with the country reporting over 3 lakh daily cases from the last few days. The country is facing a critical shortage of oxygen amid a devastating surge in  COVID-19 infections . “Apart from this consignment that’s has been shipped by Philips Atlanta, additional flights carryin...

  Popular Hollywood singer Mary Millben has sent a video message to US President Joe Biden urging him to help India, which is grappling with the deadly second wave of coronavirus Popular Hollywood singer Mary Millben has sent a video message to US President Joe Biden urging him to help India, which is grappling with the deadly second wave of coronavirus. Applauding Biden for prioritising Americans in the coronavirus vaccination distribution, Milben, who is a big fan of Indian culture and its people, said the US is headed to better days, but in India the days worsen. Mr. President, today, America is in full capability to help India. Thank you for lifting the ban on raw materials. Good first steps. But, we can do more. We can send vaccinations to India. Initiate public-private partnerships just as done under Operation Warp Speed last year, to bring vaccinations to Americans. Have courage, Mr President. Let’s help India, Milben said in a video released on Sunday. Namaste. One of my go...

  This despite the prime minister suggesting such a move be the last resort to curb the spread of Covid-19 In early April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers in an interaction that lockdowns were a tool of last resort in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and entirely avoidable if a strategy of micro-containment was followed. He followed this up with similar advice on April 20 when he repeated his suggestion that micro-containment should be the preferred option. But either the PM’s advisers were out of touch with the reality on the ground or it was an unworkable suggestion: Because within days of the PM’s advice, several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — and the opposition — resorted to precisely this measure to curb the rates of infection in their state. Most states have termed these curfews, but the curbs are akin to a lockdown. Gujarat was the only BJP-ruled exception that followed the PM’s lead faithfully. Although the state continues to report aroun...

  Women cooks, who used to earn a living by preparing food at marriage hall kitchens in Aurangabad, have been severely affected by the Maharashtra government’s new order a living by preparing food at marriage hall kitchens in Aurangabad, have been severely affected by the Maharashtra government’s new order restricting the timings and number of people at wedding events in the wake of the COVID-19 surge. These women say they are are staring at a dark future as they are hardly getting any food orders now from wedding caterers and are unable to meet their daily needs. They have now appealed to the government to provide them financial assistance. Hirabai Pawar (60), who is in this profession here since the last four decades and lives with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, told PTI that she never experienced such a crisis in her life. “My daughter-in-law worked in a beauty parlour, but they are also shut now. Till last year, I used to earn Rs 200 to 400 a day, but now that has stopp...

  Union health ministry has issued a revised guidelines, recommending the EUA/off-label use of Tocilizumab drug in case of severe diseases, preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the disease The Union health ministry on Thursday issued a revised ‘Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients’ recommending the EUA/off-label use of Tocilizumab drug in case of severe diseases, preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the disease or ICU admission. The guidelines issued by AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force and the Joint Monitoring Group (DGHS) under the ministry stated that Tocilizumab (a drug that modifies the immune system or its functioning) may be considered in patients with significantly raised inflammatory markers and not improving despite use of steroids with there being no active bacterial/fungal/tubercular infection. They also recommended off-label use of convalescent plasma only in the early moderate disease, preferably within seven days ...

  Researchers have now documented human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, that occurred during the pandemic in the UK Researchers have now documented human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, that occurred during the pandemic in the UK, with the infected cats displaying mild or severe respiratory disease. The research provides fresh evidence that people have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to cats during the pandemic in the UK. The study, which is published in Veterinary Record, detected the virus last year in cats that developed mild or severe respiratory disease. Investigators used a range of laboratory techniques to show that two domestic cats from households with suspected cases of Covid-19 were infected with SARS-CoV-2. “Given the ability of the coronavirus to infect companion animals, it will be important to monitor for human-to-cat, cat-to-cat and cat-to-human transmission,” said lead author Margaret Hosie of the MRC-Uni...

  Thirteen coronavirus patients died after the blaze in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Vijay Vallabh Hospital. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced a financial assistance of Rs five lakh each to the families of 13 COVID-19 patients, who died in a fire at a hospital in Virar of Palghar district. A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said those who suffered serious injuries in the incident will be given Rs one lakh compensation each. Thirteen coronavirus patients died after the blaze in the intensive care unit (ICU) located on the second floor of the four-storeyed  Vijay Vallabh Hospital  at Virar in the early hours of Friday. Five women and eight men died in the incident. There were 90 patients in the hospital, 18 of them in the ICU, when the fire broke out after a blast in the AC unit, an official has said…

  Supplies of medical oxygen, essential in many cases to treat seriously ill patients, have been depleted as hospitals around India have been overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases An acute shortage of medical oxygen in India, amid a deadly wave of coronavirus infections, has triggered a surge in stocks seen linked to industrial gases. Supplies of medical oxygen, essential in many cases to treat seriously ill patients, have been depleted as hospitals around India have been overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases. The nation recorded 314,835 new infections on Thursday, the world’s biggest one-day jump, and taking its case-count to almost 16 million, the second-most globally. Workers load refilled oxygen tanks into a vehicle at a refill station in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, April 22, 2021. India saw a record one-day jump with more than 300,000 new coronavirus infections, marking a grim milestone for the country as a deadlier second wave showing no signs of abating. Chart Oxygen manufacturer Linde...

  Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus’ gaming triggers for Android and iOS smartphones are now available in India for Rs 1,099 Chinese smartphone maker  OnePlus ‘ gaming triggers for Android and iOS smartphones are now available in India for Rs 1,099. The company hasn’t confirmed that these gaming triggers will be releasing globally, reports The Verge. These triggers can be clipped around the edge of most smartphones — any Android or iOS device, so long as they’re less than 11.5mm thick with a case on. If you want to do some mobile gaming but hate touch controls, these could provide a more intuitive, controller-like alternative to tapping on your screen, the report said. Each trigger appears to have just one shoulder button with an Omron switch that OnePlus CEO Pete Lau says is “pleasingly clicky” to tap. According to the product page, these triggers are interchangeable and can be fastened to your phone in whatever way is most comfortable to you. To use them, though, your game of...

Tata Steel BSL’s consolidated net profit more-than-doubled to Rs 1,913 crore in Q4FY21, against Rs 913 crore in December quarter (Q3FY21) Shares of  Tata Steel  were up 5 per cent at Rs 936.50 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Thursday after Tata Steel BSL, a subsidiary of the company, reported a strong operational performance for the quarter ended March 2021 (Q4FY21). The stock of Tata Steel BSL surged 6 per cent to Rs 61.25 in intra-day trade, quoting close to its 52-week high of Rs 62 touched on April 8. Tata Steel BSL’s consolidated net profit more-than-doubled to Rs 1,913 crore in Q4FY21, against Rs 913 crore in December quarter (Q3FY21). Consolidated revenue from operations jumped 24 per cent to Rs 7,321 crore from Rs 5,881 crore in the previous quarter. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) grew 25 per cent at Rs 257 crore on a sequential basis. The beat on Ebitda was driven by higher-than-expected volumes and realisation. Sales volumes ...