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           facing other registration issues.  !   While some said they were see- 

  / 0 ing error messages while trying 11*2 !   to register, a few others com-      plained they were not receiving    ($*&$+$((" the OTP required to log in to New Delhi: Russia will deliver   ,-- .'  ! *   + CoWin on their phones. the first batch of Sputnik V vac- ,-&$)&$(%*.  
  
However, following the ini- cine to India on May 1, the day n a scathing criticism of the , !  tial trouble, the portal started the country expands its covid-  +$"$,-&$+%*. IGovernment’s amended Q!"  working after some time. 19 immunisation drive to cover    ($)"$)%$*(* Covid treatment protocol relat-  !   Aarogya Setu tweeted, “Cowin all adults from 18 years of age ed to anti-viral drug # 

Portal is working. There was a to 44. However, it is not clear ,-+$'$%. Remdesivir, the Delhi High minor glitch at 4 pm that was when the vaccine will be avail- Court on Wednesday observed   ,-- .' fixed. 18 plus can register”. able to the people here. &"$%($'/( “it appears you want people to $
#R At 4.54 pm, a tweet from “The first doses will be die”. s lack of vaccine stocks and the same handle stated, delivered on 1 May," Russian    2$%&$&' As per the amended pro- allocation was being made on Atheir availability in States “Vaccination appointments for Direct Investment Fund tocol, the Central Government the basis of the actual caseload remains an issue, the 18 plus will be possible once the (RDIF) chief executive officer # ($')$&%* submitted to the court that now of a State. Maharashtra Government on State Governments and private Kirill Dmitriev said recently. # #($&'$*++ only patients on oxygen sup- The court, however, said Wednesday postponed indefi-      


     
vaccination centres schedule However, a spokesperson port were being given the allocation cannot be so low           nitely the launch of the third vaccination sessions. for the company’s partner in     (($*+$** Remdesivir. for Delhi. The court also said phase of vaccination pro- Registration is happening on India, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories “This is wrong. This is a it was “shocking” that an MP gramme for the 18-45 age System functioning as expect- Many vaccine seekers com- cowin.Gov.In.” Ltd, said it is not providing a complete non-application of was able to procure 10,000 group scheduled for May 1. ed,” he added. plained that they did not After registration, taking specific date for the launch. mind. Now people who do not vials of the medicine from Earlier in the day, when At the same there was also receive code number to pro- an appointment to get a Covid- Detailed report on P4 have oxygen will not get Delhi, transport it to millions of vaccine aspirants confusion about the rollout of ceed with the process while yet 19 vaccine jab would be Remdesivir either. It appears Ahmednagar in Maharashtra logged in at the Government’s this phase of drive in several others lamented that they have mandatory for those aged    you want people to die,” Justice via a chartered flight and dis- CoWin portal and the Aarogya States due to constrains of vac- not been assigned any hospital between 18 and 44 years as  ! Prathiba M Singh said. tributed it there. Setu app for registration for cine availability. While or given any date for vaccina- walk-ins will not be allowed    The court also said it will “This is shocking the con- Covid-19 vaccination for the Maharashtra has decided not to tion despite registration. initially, officials had said.      consider later whether a med- science of the court. That is 18-45 age group at 4 pm on roll out the anti-Covid vacci- However, terming the Those above 45 years of age    ical committee should review if 10,000 vials that could have Wednesday, both the sites nation drive for the 18-44 year crash as a minor glitch, the can still avail the facility of on- !! !
  the protocols or guidelines for been given to patients in Delhi. crashed briefly amid confusion age group from May 1, Government said the portal has site registration to get vacci- administering Remdesivir need There is complete misman- and chaos, with several ruing Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, been fixed for registration for nated, they had said.
 #$       any modification. agement of the quota being on social media that they have Jharkhand, Punjab and Kerala the third phase of the inocula- Continued on Page 2 “Don’t change the protocol received by the State,” the court got vaccinate date as late as July. had on Sunday said they would tion drive that is scheduled to New Delhi: One in four peo- Noida: As the mad scramble to only to reduce the shortage. said. Nearly 80 lakh apply for also postpone this phase of the begin on May 1. Users also ple experience mild, short lived register for the Covid-19 vac- That is wrong. As a result, doc- The Centre then said that Covid vaccination in 3 hours vaccination for the same rea- pointed out that while regis- 

QR systemic side effects after cine among those in the 18-44 tors are not able to prescribe in the coming days the alloca- on a day when new cases rose son. tration process got completed, receiving either the Covid-19 age group began on the Remdesivir,” the court said and tion would increase as there by over 3.6 lakh, the highest in Under the new guidelines scheduling an appointment 
   
 preventive by Pfizer or CoWIN portal on Wednesday, added, “This is complete mis- would be a rise in production. the world. from the Centre, officials said was not possible as majority of AstraZeneca vaccine — known some of those who got lucky in management.” The Delhi Government, repre- In a tweet later, National Maharashtra has to arrange for the locations still required age New Delhi: Serum Institute of as Covishield in India — with Noida were shocked to see On the allocation of the sented by additional standing Health Authority chief RS its own procurement and to be over 45. India’s CEO Adar Poonawalla headache, fatigue and tender- that there was not even one drug to Delhi, the Centre told counsel Anuj Aggarwal, said Sharma said 79.65 lakh people ensure enough stock for vacci- Many users were quick to will get “Y” category security ness the most common symp- Centre, Government or private, the court that over 52,000 vials, they received only 2,500 vials registered for vaccinations on nating adults up to 44 years of share the hassle they faced on across India by the CRPF, the toms, according to a study available for scheduling out of the allocated amount of of the over 52,000 sent to the the first day. “We have seen a age — the largest demograph- Twitter saying they could either Union Government officials published in the Lancet appointments for the jab in the 72,000, were sent to the nation- national Capital. traffic of 55,000 hits per second. ic group in the state. not log in to the portal or were said on Wednesday. Infectious Diseases journal. third phase. al capital till April 27. It said the Continued on Page 2  
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,%      $    %    ,-- .'      *   &             ,-- .' and will have to produce neg- he Supreme Court on ''(&    ative RT-PCR report or RAT Wednesday directed the    O      ,-- .' T !
   "      fter allowing a free for all report or vaccination reports Uttar Pradesh Government to  
 #   Aduring the Assembly poll within 48 hours of start of shift journalist Siddique fter much hue and cry and campaigns, the Election counting,” the guidelines read. Kappan, suffering from various   $    $    ,-- .'   # " # Athe Government’s inter- Commission on Wednesday The EC said that the dis- ailments and arrested last year     O     vention, Pune-based Serum to the earlier sanctioned 713 made it mandatory for candi- trict election officer (DEO) on way to Hathras where a !
 "    Institute of India (SII) on rime Minister Narendra PSA plants under PM Cares dates and their agents to show shall make arrangements of young Dalit woman had died 
        Wednesday said as “a philan- PModi on Wednesday Fund, 500 new Pressure Swing negative RT-PCR test reports or RT-PCR/RAT test for candi- after being gangraped, to a hos- !     
thropic gesture”, it has decided announced the procurement of Adsorption (PSA) oxygen records of having taken both dates and counting agents pital in Delhi for better med-     to reduce the price of its coro- one lakh portable oxygen con- plants have been sanctioned Covid-19 vaccine doses to enter before the day of counting. ical treatment. navirus vaccine Covishield to centrators and additional under PM CARES Fund,” said counting centres on May 2. Candidates will need to provide Keeping in mind the basic 300 from the earlier rate of immediate installation of 550 PMO in a statement. The EC will allow candi- a list of counting agents three human rights of an accused,   !    "  #   400 to the Government sector. oxygen plants. The PSA plants will aug- dates to name a fresh agent if days before counting day. Chief Justice NV Ramana    " "" The decision was PM Cares Fund will be ment the supply of Liquid the first one tests positive for Earlier, the EC had banned headed bench granted the relief "       announced by CEO Adar utilised for this purchase and Medical Oxygen at hospitals in Covid-19. The fresh EC guide- any victory procession cele- and directed the State to pro-     && # $   Poonawalla, who wrote in his take a decision on the installation and 550 oxygen district headquarters and Tier lines go beyond the ones issued brations on May 2. Counting of vide medical treatment to the "     tweet that “this reduction of Government’s direction to cut plants will be based on the 2 cities. These 500 PSA plants by the poll panel for the Bihar votes for Assembly polls in Kerala-based scribe.  #        price is a philanthropic gesture the vaccine prices. technology developed by will be established with trans- Assembly elections last year Assam, West Bengal, Tamil The bench also comprising on the part of Serum. This While Serum announced a DRDO. fer of the indigenous technol- which were being used as a Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, Justices Surya Kant and AS  #   '     #   "   price cut will save thousands of price of 400 for States and “The decision was taken at ogy developed by DRDO and template for polls held during besides various other assem- Bopanna said that Kappan will crores of State funds as well as 600 for private hospitals, a high-level meeting chaired by CSIR to the domestic manu- the pandemic. The poll panel blies and Lok Sabha bypolls be transferred back to Mathura       save countless lives”. Bharat Biotech set the prices at Prime Minister Narendra Modi facturers. has to apprise the high court on begins at 8 am on May 2. The jail after his recovery. The SC, !   $  The higher prices of vac- 600 and 1,200 a dose. These, to discuss the measures need- Establishing PSA plants April 30 about steps it has taken final phase of voting in West however, granted him liberty to    $      cines for States and private hos- according to reports, would ed to improve Liquid Medical and procurement of portable to ensure a Covid-safe count- Bengal will be held on approach an appropriate forum   #( pitals had provoked anger and mean the highest price at any Oxygen (LMO) Supply for oxygen concentrators will ing process. Thursday. challenging his arrest or for any  '  )('* ' "  debate since Serum made the private hospitals across the Covid management. greatly augment the supply of “No candidates or agents It had also restricted the other relief and disposed of the #      announcement weeks ago. world for Covishield — the The PM instructed that oxygen near the demand clus- will be allowed inside the number of people who could plea filed by Kerala Union of However, for the private sector Indian name for the vaccine these oxygen concentrators ters, thereby addressing the counting hall without under- accompany the candidate to Working Journalists (KUWJ)   
     + " $    the price will remain at 600 as developed by Oxford- should be procured at the ear- current logistical challenges in going RT-PCR/RAT test or collect thier election certificate and his wife, seeking his release    was decided earlier. Hyderabad AstraZeneca. liest and provided in States with transporting oxygen from without having two doses of from the returning officer. from alleged illegal detention. based Bharat Biotech is yet to Continued on Page 2 high case burden. “In addition plants to hospitals, said PMO. vaccination against Covid-19 Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 *
 +   # ! "    #  
# 
  #   /01 averaging 40,000 daily footfall. before taking a final decision. According to the yatra sta- Last year, the yatra was sus- '



-.# mid worsening Covid-19 tistics available on the website pended. On the special request Asituation across different of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi of the Shri board the national ##   ,-- .' have problems on account of parts of India, the pilgrim traf- Shrine Board, a little over 5,000 broadcaster had organised a some equipment”. fic to the Cave Shrine of Mata pilgrims performed darshan live broadcast of the special he Covid-19 situation in Asked whether he did not Vaishno Devi, nestled in the inside the sanctum sanctorum prayers from inside the cave TUttar Pradesh has turned so appeal to hospital staff to help Trikuta hills, has sharply nose- on April 21. The numbers have shrine for devotees who could grim that in some cases doc- in the national emergency, the dived. declined further in the last cou- not physically visit the shrine. tors, nurses and paramedic Minister said, “Maine haath- Incidentally, last year the ple of days. This year the UT adminis- staff have “deserted” the hos- paon jode, par vo vaapas nahin Government suspended the The local businessmen, tration was anticipating par- pitals to “escape the reality”. aye.... main abhi bi yahi hoon (I yatra for a period of five tour operators and hoteliers in ticipation of around 6 lakh pil- “The cases are continu- pleaded hard with them but months. Katra are once again staring at grims during the Amarnath ously multiplying...in Bharat they did not return).” After the lockdown restric- an uncertain future in the yatra. Ayurvedic Medical College Balyan said he was trying tions were imposed across sev- absence of pilgrim traffic. The The chairman of the Shri here in Muzaffarnagar, para- to rope in doctors from every- eral north Indian cities, around local economy in Katra and Amarnathji Shrine Board, LG medical staff and nurses have where. 1,000 pilgrims have been reach- tourist hotspots located in the Manoj Sinha, had also extend- run away...,” said Union Similar cases have been ing the Katra base camp to per- close vicinity are solely depen- ed invitations to Akhada Minister Sanjeev Balyan, who repeated in Kanpur where most form the yatra. dent on the pilgrim traffic for Parishads, Acharya Parishads is also an MP from of doctors, nurses and man- Speaking to The Pioneer, a earning their livelihood. to participate in the yatra along Muzaffarnagar. agement staff have reportedly senior Mata Vaishno Devi On the other hand, the Shri with their disciples. The The Union Minister said he deserted a big hospital, leaving Shrine Board officer said, “At pilgrims for the last couple of maintaining social distancing sources, less than one lakh pil- Amarnathji Shrine Board authorities were making prepa- is trying hard to arrange new patients to their fates. present there are no plans to days. Each pilgrim is subject- and general hygiene of public grims completed the yatra dur- (SASB) has also temporarily rations to create better accom- medical staff for the hospital. A video that has gone viral suspend the yatra. The final ed to Covid-19 screening at the toilets and other common ing the nine-day long Navratra suspended online registration modation, toilet and resting Balyan said oxygen for the shows patients lying in their decision is taken by the UT Katra railway stations, spaces along the yatra route by between April 13 and 21. of yatra scheduled to begin facilities for pilgrims along the hospital is transported from rooms unattended with hospi- administration.” Banganga or at the yatra tick- using hand sanitisers and wear- In the past, over 3 lakh pil- from June 28. yatra route between Lakhanpur Mangalore to Haridwar, tal staff completely “missing”. The official said they were et counter. ing masks. grims used to perform special The board authorities are to yatra base camps at Baltal Uttarakhand, but “here too we Continued on Page 2 not receiving more than 1,000 He said emphasis is on According to official prayers during the Navrata closely monitoring the situation and Pahalgam.  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)-  1  
  
#'#1   8/99 

Noida: As the mad scramble to third phase. since 4 p.m. as soon as the por- for your age Vaccine shortage has led to everyone above the age of 18 age. No walk in allowed," it had market. register for the Covid vaccine Rajiv, 43, who got through tal went live. It crashed sever- group, it means fears that this mass vaccination will be eligible to get a vaccine said.In Phase 3 of the vaccina- All vaccination would be among those in the 18-44 age along with registering his wife al times and when I finally got that government drive may become a sore exer- against Covid-19 from May 1. tion drive, vaccine manufac- part of the National group began on the CoWIN Geetanjali, 41, on the portal through, there was no centre in and private cise for the state govern- It had already clarified that turers would supply 50 per cent Vaccination Programme, and portal, some of those who got had nowhere to go as the cen- entire Gautam Buddha Nagar facilities are yet ments.Registration for the third there will be no walk-in of their monthly Central Drugs mandated to follow all proto- lucky in Noida were shocked to tres available for vaccination district that was available for to open for phase of Covid vaccination for allowed for beneficiaries in Laboratory (CDL) released cols such as being captured on see that there was not even one scheduling were only available scheduling," Rajiv told IANS. scheduling everyone above 18 years start- the third phase. doses to the Centre and would CoWIN platform, linked to centre, government or private, for people age 45 and above. The message that appeared appointments in your area, ed from 4 p.m. on Wednesday. "Only self-registration and be free to supply the remaining AEFI reporting and all other available for scheduling "The whole exercise went on the website said that if you and the list will be updated On April 19, the Union advance appointments for peo- 50 per cent doses to the state prescribed norms. appointments for the jab in the in vain. I was trying to register do not see a vaccination centre soon. government announced that ple between 18 to 45 years of government and in the open IANS -!   ! 1@ 2- ,     #         From Page 1   #      $
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%%() One of the patients is quot-  !((( # ed as saying that a Cancer Pithoragarh: Entry of people Champawat said. kets through the bridges to buy 2    ject in the morning, the patient has been admitted to a from Nepal into India through There are more than half a essentials and meet their rela- Chamoli district disaster con- Covid ward of the hospital. the border bridges connecting dozen border bridges in the tives living on this side of the       trol room said. Not willing to be quoted, a ./0   1 the two countries in two districts through which a border but with the steep surge On February 7, an noted epidemiologist pointed Champawat and Pithoragarh large number of Nepalese cit- in COVID-19 cases, it was felt avalanche triggered by the glac- that in many cases doctors districts has been restricted fol- izens visit the Indian markets necessary to impose the restric- Gopeshwar (U'khand): More ier burst caused large-scale and medical staff are virtually     4410085 to 44,73,394. lowing the resurgence of daily. "We have advised every tions, he said. than two months after a glac- damage to the project, besides on the edge due to magnitude 1;0' As 61,181 patients were COVID cases, officials said on Nepalese citizen wanting to officer of the Sashastra ier burst in Uttarakhand's completely demolishing the of challenges, accentuated by discharged from the hospitals Wednesday. enter India to bring corona Seema Bal (SSB) posted at Chamoli district, one more Rishiganga hydel project at shortage of Oxygen, beds and he number of daily deaths across the state after full recov- The administrations of the negative report not older than Dharchula Man Singh said body was recovered from the Raini village in the district. medicines. Tbreached the threshold of ery, the total number of people two border districts have made 72 hours with them without several Nepalese citizens have Tapovan tunnel on Saturday, Eighty-one bodies and 36 “Doctors are helpless and 1000 in Maharashtra on discharged from the hospitals it mandatory for people com- which they will not be permit- been asked to returned from taking the death toll in the body parts have so far been the bureaucracy has thrown up Wednesday, as a shocking 1035 since the second week of March ing to India from Nepal for ted to enter," said Himanshu the border as they did not have tragedy to 81. recovered from different places its hands too,” he hastened to died of Covid-19, while 63,309 last year went up to 37,30,729. daily marketing through the Kaphaltia, SDM of Tanakpur the mandatory negative RT- The rescue teams recov- hit by the disaster, the control add. people tested positive for the The recovery rate of Covid border bridges to bring their sub division of Champawat PCR report with them. ered the body from a tunnel at room said, adding that 48 bod- The doctor was, in a way, pandemic in various parts of patients in the State for the first corona negative test reports not district. SSB is the designated force the National Thermal Power ies have been identified while pointing to notices pasted out- the state. time in several days rose older than 72 hours with them, People from Nepal rou- to guard the open Indian fronts Corporation's (NTPC) 123 people are still missing. side some hospitals in the State A day the pandemic from 83.21 per cent toi 83.4 per an official in Tanakpur in tinely come to the Indian mar- with Nepal. PTI Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel pro- PTI and elsewhere announcing claimed 895 lives and left cent. non-availability of beds and 66,536 other infected, the The total “active cases” in oxygen. Covid-19 situation worsened the state dropped from 6,72,434 The sinking mood was further in the state the state to 6,73,481, The fatality rate in B,          @ !  amplified when in Kanpur a today recorded 1,035 deaths the state stood static at 1.50 per man left his breathless mother including 50 earlier fatalities - cent. Nagpu: Two Naxals, collec- conducting an anti-Naxal oper- the SP office said. Subsequently, two bodies of The deceased were the by the roadside fearing he up from the previous peak Of the 2,65, 27,862 samples tively carrying Rs 8 lakh reward ation in Gatta Jambia forest During the anti-Naxal male cadres were found during masterminds behind the April would himself get infected high of 895 (April 27), while sent to laboratories, 44,73,394 on their heads, were killed in an around 6.30 am, he said. operation, the C-60 comman- the search operation," it said. 21 attack on an armed outpost after she tested positive. The the infections came down mar- have tested positive (16.86 per encounter with police in a for- Gadchiroli district super- dos of Gadchiroli police were The deceased Naxals in Gatta, it added. local residents admitted her to ginally to 63,309. cent) for COVID-19 until est of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli intendent of police Ankit Goyal ambushed by 20 to 25 armed were identified as Vinay Narote According to police, they a local Kanpur hospital where With fresh fatalities and Wednesday. district on Wednesday, a senior had received a tip-off that a Naxals, who fired indiscrimi- (31), who was carrying Rs 2 have seized a 9 mm pistol, a she died during the treatment. infections, the total deaths in Currently, 42,93,547 people official said. large number of Naxals were nately, it said. lakh bounty on his head, and Bharmar gun, explosive sub- UP, the most populated the state climbed from 66,179 are in home quarantine while The exchange of fire took camping in Gatta Jambia forest "The commandos retaliat- Vivek Narote with Rs 6 lakh stances and a huge cache of State in the country has, as on to 67,214, while the total 31,159 people are in institu- place when C-60 commandos and hatching a criminal con- ed swiftly, following which the cash reward, the statement Naxal material from the spot. Wednesday, recorded 11,678 number of cases rose from tional quarantine. of the Gadchiroli Police were spiracy, a press release issued by Naxals ran away into the forest. said. PTI deaths by the Covid-19.

)  #444 turers under the Centre’s lib- inoculate the younger popula- 
 ::: *! 3   0 eralised policy to tackle the tion, while the Centre will buy From Page 1 explosion of Covid cases. State the other half to continue vac- From May 1, as vaccina- Governments and private hos- cinating those above 45 free of From Page 1 tions open to all adults, States pitals can order up to 50 per cost. Serum said it would con- The inoculation process and the documents to be provided " !    444 and private entities can buy cent of Serum’s Covishield and tinue to provide vaccines to the to get the jab remain the same. The vaccination registration for doses directly from manufac- Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin to centre at Rs 150 a shot. those who are 18 and above has begun at a time when vaccine shortages are being reported from many States across the coun- From Page 1 filed by the KUWJ, there is also -- Siddique from Malappuram, try. “Taking into consideration a petition filed by Kappan’s Atiq-ur Rehman from $" 1(  There are widespread reports of people having to wait for facts of the case, we dispose of wife, which seeks his release. Muzaffarnagar, Masood    % &  ' long hours to get the shot and also being denied vaccination at the writ petition. Even though “Can’t this court direct for Ahmed from Bahraich and some centres due to vaccine shortage. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta better treatment. You forget Alam from Rampur.   +  2 From May 1, the types of anti-coronavirus vaccines and their very seriously opposed the about the petitions. Life of a cit- Kappan was arrested on prices will be displayed on the CoWIN portal for the citizens to contention, we are directing the izen is important. Tomorrow, way to Hathras, which has ((   ' $=#  make an informed choice at the time of booking an appointment state to shift the accused to no one should be able to blame been in the news following the at a private vaccination centre. RML or AIIMS hospital here or us, that he was not given bet- death of a 19-year-old Dalit N"" #  O While those aged 18 to 44 years will be eligible to receive a wherever treatment can be ter treatment,” the CJI said. woman who was allegedly vaccination on payment from any of the private Covid vaccination done,” said the bench. Mehta said he had objec- gang-raped on September 14, )%  !!     1$9,: centres (CVCs), they shall also be eligible to receive a jab from Mehta, who strongly tions to the suggestion and was 2020, in a village in the district. a government CVC in a State or a Union Territory that decides opposed the top court’s sug- ready to constitute a medical PTI   1$9,: like SGPGI, KGMU, RMLIMS, aunching a scathing attack to lower the minimum cut-off age for eligibility. gestions, said that the bench board to ascertain his ailments Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Lon fake news and rumour The Government has said more than one crore doses, to be may also pass direction to the and advice and only then the iming to alleviate the plight Agra, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, peddlers, Chief Minister Yogi administered to priority groups were available with states and hospital concerned to vacate court should take a call on his Aof Covid patients across Meerut, Uttar Pradesh Medical Adityanath dared these ele- 86 lakh more would be distributed over the next three days. one of the beds for 42-years-old shifting to the hospital in Delhi.   444 the State, Chief Minister Yogi University Saifai, Etawah ments to compare the perfor- According to official data, of the 1,00,47,157 doses still avail- Kappan, which are now fully The bench then told Mehta From Page 1 instructed officials to meet the Government Institute of mance of other states with able with the states, the maximum are with Uttar Pradesh (10.10 occupied by Covid patients. that whether there was any When the court asked rising demand of oxygen on a Medical Sciences, Greater Uttar Pradesh in terms of lakh doses), Maharashtra (9.23 lakh doses), Bihar (7.50 lakh The bench, however, embargo on the court that about the remaining nearly war-footing and double the Noida and Super Specialty efforts to contain the expo- doses), Gujarat (6.09 lakh doses) and Jharkhand (5.95 lakh doses). refused to pass any such direc- while entertaining a habeas 50,000 vials, it was informed number of beds for patients in Pediatric Hospital and nential spread of COVID-19 These doses are to be administered to frontline workers, health- tions and told Mehta that the corpus petition, it cannot go for that they were distributed via all hospitals. Educational Institute, Noida infection. care workers and those above the age of 45 years, with 86,40,000 state Government can arrange a lesser relief of bail. private channels to hospitals and In the last one week, a total and 8 private medical colleges “Fake news regarding doses to the States in the next three days. a bed for him and “we leave it Mehta said that from patients. of 866 beds have been such as Era Medical College COVID-19 disease has been at that”. Kappan’s possession, police The Delhi Government, increased in over 25 state-run Lucknow, Sri Ramamurthy spreading quicker than the Earlier in the day the bench had recovered an Identity card thereafter, told the court that in medical colleges and 33 private Medical College Bareilly, virus itself across Uttar asked Mehta to seek instruc- of a newspaper, which was view of the private distribution medical colleges that have been Naraina, Kanpur, Rama Pradesh. Some miscreants have 

  tions from the UP Government shut in 2018 and he has asso- of the drug, it has decided to operating as L-2 and L-3 Covid Medical College Hapur, been trying to mislead people on whether Kappan can be ciation with Popular Front of create a portal only through hospitals. O the total number Subharti Medical College through their lies about the shifted to a hospital outside the India (PFI), which in turn is which hospitals would be able of beds added, 199 are ICU Meerut, Tirthankar Mahavir arrangements in the state hos- state for better treatment. associated with banned orga- to procure the medicine. beds. To help ease the ongoing Medical College Moradabad, pitals. The people who are      Mehta, after taking instruc- nization Students’ Islamic The court, however, did crisis of medical oxygen, BHU Varanasi and AMU, spreading misinformation tion told the bench that it is Movement of India (SIMI). not agree with the proposed sys- Pressure Swing Absorption Aligarh. about the healthcare facilities in dealing with a non-COVID The bench asked Mehta tem saying many people who (PSA) oxygen generation plants On the other hand, to Uttar Pradesh can compare patient, whose medical report whether PFI is a banned orga- need the medicine are not hos- are being installed in more than ensure smooth, timely and our performance in terms of   is before the top court and there nization to which he replied pitalised due to lack of beds or 13 medical colleges and insti- transparent supply of medical providing adequate facilities are 40-50 coronavirus patients that many states have done so are availing treatment at home. tutes across the state. Besides, oxygen to Covid critical to the ailing people with other From Page 1 with some or no co-morbidities and as per his information Justice Singh said that the work wais also underway to set patients an ‘Oxygen states, and they will see them- As per the latest guidelines, there should be sufficient num- in Mathura jail but they are not “Centre is also in process to ban better option would be to allow up oxygen plants at private hos- Monitoring System’ - for 24x7 selves how serious we are ber of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for counting getting beds in hospitals. PFI”. the patient or family or atten- pitals. live monitoring of the supply towards saving their lives," said agents and candidates. “Since last year, I have The bench said, “So, as of dant to place the request on the The PSA medical oxygen system across the state was the CM on Wednesday. "The counting agents' sitting arrangement shall be made in been asking this man to now it is not banned”. portal for the drug and there- generation plants are being developed by Rodic Recently, opposition lead- such a way that between 2 counting agents 1 agent shall be in approach a competent court for Mehta while reading from after, the person can collect it installed in state-run medical Consultants Pvt Ltd in collab- ers like Priyanka Gandhi and PPE," the guideline read. The counting hall, according to the EC, bail but he is adamant and not an affidavit filed in December from the hospital after making colleges in Banda, Azamgarh, oration with Food and Drug Akhilesh Yadav have been should be sufficiently big to maintain social distancing, and should approaching it. In this petition last year said, “No. Many offi- payment. Bahraich, Basti, Jalaun, Administration, Department attacking the Chief Minister have proper ventilation, windows, exhaust fan as per available before the court, there is not cer bearers of PFI were found The court said this will Ambedkar Nagar, of Medical Education, maintaining that his govern- protocol of the State Disaster Management Authority. even prayer for bail or shifting to be associated with SIMI”. ensure that 90 percent of the Saharanpur,Firozabad, Budaun Department of Medical Health ment had failed to provide The counting centres should be disinfected before, during for better treatment,” Mehta On Tuesday, the top court patients who need Remdesivir and Ayodhya with the PM and Family Welfare, and relief to the people and raised and after the counting, while sealed outer boxes of electronic vot- said. had asked the UP government receive the medicine, while if CARES Fund. A letter has Department of Transport and serious question marks on the ing machines and paper trail machines should also be disinfected. Advocate Wills Mathews, to submit medical records of only hospitals were adminis- been sent to the Union Home Affairs. The system will genuinity of government claims The number of counting tables to be allowed in a counting hall appearing for KUWJ and Kappan after KUWJ alleged tering the drug then only Ministry of Health and Family have live information on the in this regard. should be as per the size of the hall and keeping in view safety Kappan’s wife, said that he be that he had been chained to a around 50 percent of the Welfare to approve funds under demand of oxygen by hospitals In Uttar Pradesh, the num- norms prescribed for Covid- 19, the Commission said. The count- granted interim bail in the cot in the hospital after he fell patients would get it. the PM CARES Fund for set- in various districts, allotment ber of patients recovered from ing of votes of a constituency may be considered at 3-4 halls by case besides being provided in the bathroom and later test- It directed the Delhi gov- ting up these plants. Besides, and loading of oxygen in the Covid is more than the num- appointing additional assistant returning officers, with proper medicines and ed positive for COVID-19. ernment to put on hold the oxygen generator plants will be vehicles, live location of vehi- ber of patients admitted. Also, treatment. The state has refuted the launch of the portal till the time set up in nine state-run med- cles moving on the highways, as compared to yesterday, the At the outset, the bench allegations that Kappan has the suggestions made by the ical colleges and institutes, for and the supply of the oxygen state witnessed 2000 fewer said it was confined to the lim- been chained to a cot at the court are incorporated in it. which funds have been released and its utilization. cases on Wednesday, while ited issue of granting better hospital and said it would file The court was hearing a from the State Disaster Relief Additional Chief Secretary, Delhi with less population that health facilities to Kappan and a short reply on his medical plea by a lawyer who is suffer- Fund, the official said. Home, Awanish Awasthi said the state, recorded over 24,000 asked whether he could be records by tomorrow. ing from COVID-19 and was To give a major boost to that the digital platform has new cases the same day. allowed medical treatment in Kappan’s wife Raihanth able to get only three out of the the availability of medical oxy- made it possible to locate vehi- Imposing all the restrictions Delhi. Kappan recently wrote to CJI six doses of Remdesivir gen amid a raging second wave cles delivering oxygen, along required to keep the Covid “We are confined to health Ramana seeking his immediate required. Due to the court's of corona infections, work was with real-time monitoring and surge, the Yogi government issues. He has health problems release from the hospital, alleg- intervention, the lawyer got the underway to set up oxygen pro- tracking. “A oxygen control said that apart from saving lives like BP, Diabetes and other ail- ing he is “chained like an ani- remaining vials on Tuesday ducing plants in all such private room has been set up in the it is also working to provide ments. He has precarious mal in a cot” there. night. medical colleges and institutes, Home department to oversee them livelihood. health conditions. You have to The FIR has been filed The court had on Tuesday which do not have LMO based the demand and supply of oxy- The CM said that his gov- consider this. He is in custody under various provisions of the observed that several companies oxygen plants. These would be gen. A total of 321 tons of med- ernment has undertaken mea- of the state. You have to protect IPC and the Unlawful Activities in India were manufacturing the set in the state budget. A senior ical oxygen was supplied yes- sures to stop the spread of the him. It is in the interest of the (Prevention) Act (UAPA) medicine and millions of vials government official said that terday which alone is more virus, such as declaring con- state also that the accused gets against four people having of the drug must have been manufacturing plants have than the supply in several other tainment zones where more better treatment,” the bench alleged links with the PFI. exported, "but we do not have already been set up in over 22 states. There has also been an than five patients are infected observed. The police had said it enough to cater to our own state-run and private medical increase in the number of oxy- by covid are found, imposing Justice Bopanna said that arrested four people having patients". colleges and institutions includ- gen tankers, from 30 to 84,” night curfews, Sunday bandh notwithstanding the petition links with the PFI in Mathura ing 12 state medical colleges Awasthi informed. and limits on gatherings.

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 #    ,-- .' patients from Delhi while in at R J Hospital in Bahadurgarh patients contact hospital said doctors. Punjab, around 30 per cent said that after his cousin authorities through their Hisar- Recently following the ollowing the shortage of patients from Delhi have been Kuldeep, a resident of Rohini, based relatives and due to surge in covid patients coming Fhospital beds and oxygen admitted to hospitals in Patiala, health got deteriorated he tried availability of beds the hospi- to hospital in Ghaziabad, the supplies in the national Capital, Jalandhar and other places. a lot of hospitals to get him tals cannot deny medical care,” health authorities also   
 " some Covid-19 patients from Uttar Pradesh is also not admitted but no bed was avail- said a Civil Hospital official in increased beds up from 970 to Delhi who are in need of behind with covid patients in able. ‘ Hisar. 1,080. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and need of oxygen beds and ICU “Finally, we managed to get “After going through the “We have 1,598 beds,      ,-- .' gerous and often leads to res- oxygen beds are getting them- are being admitted in Meerut, a bed in ICU at Bahadurgarh bed availability on the portal we including the ones in the gov- piratory and breathing issues. selves admitted in neighbour- Ghaziabad, Noida and with the help of a relative liv- reached here in Hisar and got ernment setup, and 44 per s the city battles the worst It has become very important ing States hospitals. Doctors Moradabad. ing here,” said Rajesh. my nephew admitted here. cent of the occupied beds are Aever health crisis and hos- to provide beds to every patient said Delhi-based Covid With rise in covid patients A medical officer in We came directly from for patients from other dis- pitals gasping for breath in who needs oxygen. We have to patients, many of who need and their attendants, the health Faridabad, who didn’t wish to Delhi,” said a relative of covid tricts,” said an official in wake of oxygen paucity, Chief expedite the process to add oxygen support, are coming to authorities in Karnal also con- be named, said that around 40 patient. Ghaziabad. Minister Arvind Kejriwal on more ICU and oxygen beds in Haryna and Uttar Pradesh as ducted random sampling in per cent of covid patients in While in Punjab, Dr “Till Saturday, around 509 Wednesday directed health offi- the coming weeks.” “Every they could not get hospital beds hotels and dharamshalas on the private hospitals across Navjoot Dahiya who runs a beds were occupied, including cials to ensure every patient isolation systems anticipating a patient who is recovering from in the national Capital. intervening night of Sunday Haryana are from Delhi. hospital in Jalandhar said that 286 beds occupied by patients recovering from corona under further spike in the cases. Corona under home isolation The States, Haryana, Uttar and Monday. Five people, who were the hospital is getting six to from Ghaziabad, and 223 from home isolation receives regular Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal should receive regular calls Pradesh and even Punjab have A Civil Surgeon in Karnal, Covid positive, died in Hisar on seven calls daily from patients, places Delhi, Hapur, calls from doctors and said the said, “Convened a meeting from Delhi government doc- around 40 per cent of Covid Dr Yogesh Sharma said that Tuesday, out five, one was from a majority of whom are from Bulandshahr and Baghpat,” he Government is working for with the officials. Discussed the tors and an oximeter. We have patients from Delhi. Their after the issue came to their Mansa in Punjab while anoth- Delhi. added. ‘ strengthening home isolation plan to increase oxygen beds in to monitor the daily condition attendants are wandering in the notice that attendants of Delhi er was from Delhi. “Sudden influx of patients “After I was unable to get system in Delhi. Kejriwal con- the coming days, and strength- of every patient recovering cities, staying in hotels and patients are staying and roam- “Out of around 1,000 has added more pressure on an ICU bed in Delhi, somehow vened a meeting with health en the home isolation system in from Corona in home isola- dharamshalas, posing a high ing in the city, the authorities Covid patients admitted to 31 health facilities in Punjab. I managed to get a bed in department officers on the pre- Delhi. Please take all precau- tion,” he added further. threat of spreading Covid got random sampling con- hospitals in Hisar, around 350 Many patients whose relatives Meerut for my uncle through vailing corona situation in tions and stay safe.” In the last few days, the among residents. ducted in which four atten- are from outside Haryana. are living in Punjab are my friend circle. Delhi. Experts have sounded “We have to expedite the Delhi government has been As per information, in dants tested positive. Hospitals are receiving calls for approaching them to get But unfortunately when a warning about Covid cases process of adding more oxygen increasing the count of ICU Haryana, the cities including Dr Sharma also appealed to beds with oxygen from Delhi themselves admitted and as a we were on the way to Meerut reaching to peak in May month. beds across Delhi in the com- and oxygen beds across Delhi Karnal, Rohtak, Hisar, Jhajjar, the attendants to get them and National Capital Region moral obligation, the hospi- my uncle passed away, as his The Chief Minister also ing weeks,” Kejriwal said, “We on a war footing. Kejriwal vis- Gurugram and Faridabad have tested and take necessary pre- (NCR) . tals could not refuse treat- condition was critical,” said discussed plans to increase oxy- are noticing that this new strain ited several hospitals to review their private hospitals 40 per cautions to tackle the surge. Now managing the situa- ment to anyone even if they Anil Singh, a resident of gen beds and strengthen home of Coronavirus is quite dan- the corona preparedness. cent filled with the Covid Rajesh Kumar, an attendee tion has become difficult. Most were from outside Punjab,” Dwarka.   4 #! $R   647   $*  
( ,% #$,&#( #*   *"-           -#* "#,() *#* %.      ;      but to aware them about the      ,-- .' vaccination centre located at !1<1!<0 seriousness of the deadly Purnima Sethi Hospital, 9,669  #   virus,” Subhash Boken,      ,-- .' The Delhi Government is growing more in chaos in this mid increasing number of people have got their shot at he Gurugram police have  "   spokesperson of the spent crores of rupees on its terrible situation. ACovid-19 patients, South vaccination centre located at Tissued 1,59,602 fines Gurugram police, said. elhi Congress president false publicity but there was no “It is the constitutional Delhi Municipal Corporation Tilaknagar Colony Hospital including 739 on April 25 "    Boken said the force had DAnil Kumar demanded preparation to deal with the duty of a democratic govern- (SDMC) has intensified vacci- while 6,417 people have been against offenders in Gurugram  
 encouraged people to use imposition of President’s rule in epidemic,” he said. ment to manage proper med- nation drive at all its 51 vacci- vaccinated at centre located at for not wearing face masks masks in markets and crowd- the National Capital Territory The “failure” of health sys- ical facilities to protect the nation centers. Lajpat Nagar Hospital,” he since March last year when the     ed places via loudspeakers. of Delhi, alleging that AAP tem has forced the people to die lives of its citizens. A senior SDMC official added. lockdown was imposed to till Apart from police per- Government has completely on the roads while oxygen gas The State Government has said the SDMC has vaccinated Besides this, SDMC is April 25, 2121, the police said. sonnel, the district adminis- “failed” to discharge its “con- and medicines are being sold not taken any concrete steps nearly 1.84 lakh people so far making additional arrange- The police also informed ers and auto rickshaws for tration also authorised magis- stitutional duties” during the and the government is sitting in this direction since the last at these centers. “Special ments for third phase’s vacci- that fines amounting to more carrying people, police said. trates, tehsildars, naib tehsil- time of global disaster in Delhi. hand in hand, he said one year, when the epidemic arrangements have been made nation drive that is going to be than 7.98 crore were collect- “Amid surge in covid dars, BDPOs and executive Kumar in a letter written to Adding that the present is spreading rapidly,” he by the South Corporation to started from May 1 and neces- ed from the violators since cases, a strict instructions have officers of Municipal the President of India said that scenario proves that the Aam added. ensure vaccination of people sary instructions have been March last year till April 25, been issued to concern Committees to challan resi- people are left to die for the past admi party led Delhi “The citizens of the state coming at these centers with- given to health care workers in 2021. Face masks were made Officers including area station dents for violation of the several days in Delhi due to Government has completely are splashing for breath at the out facing any difficulty,” he this regard, he added. compulsory for everyone in house officers (SHOs) to guidelines issued under the “inadequacies” in the general failed in discharging its con- threshold of hospitals and their said. SDMC’s South zone in Gurugram since lockdown implement corona norms Epidemic Disease Act. civil hospital and lack of oxy- stitutional duties towards the families are dying. “It has also been observed order to ensure sanitation dur- and not wearing one was made effectively. Several police “We urged people to stay gen availability. citizens and has deviated from This dreadful scene can be that people in large coming for ing Covid-19 period has start- a punishable offence. teams have been deployed indoors and not step outside “The functioning of the its duties. witnessed in and around hos- vaccination at vaccination cen- ed a three day long ‘Special So far the police have acted across the district to keep an unnecessarily. The police will State Government in the man- Highlighting the law and pitals in the state but the state tres located at hospitals run by Sanitation and Plastic Removal against people in markets and eye on offenders. Police teams also take prompt action agement of this health disaster order situation in the state, he government is not taking any the SDMC. A total of 12,421 Drive’ which will end on April crowded places, shopkeepers, were on their task to not only against those who break has been completely irrespon- said that the system has com- concrete steps to save the inno- people have got their shot at 30. containment zones, two wheel- issue challan against offenders Covid-19 norms,” he said. sible and negligent. pletely crumbled and the state cent lives,” he added. - "  &  ! " !8  !          ( - - % +  $,  !          ,-- .' Nagar Extension following which all family members sus-     ! &  which Emergency Response tained burn injuries,” he said.   998 our members of a family Vehicle (ERV) was dispatched “A case under sections 285      ,-- .' Ram Hospital,” said Anil Mittal, sonnel have also been put in      ,-- .' Fsustained burn injuries on for the spot. (negligent conduct with the Additional Public Relation service.“The panelist doctors Wednesday after two LPG “When police reached the respect to fire or combustible he Delhi Police on Officer (APRO) of Delhi Police. acknowledged that since Delhi      ,-- .' he Delhi Police has arrest- cylinders caught fire in west spot, they found that four per- matter) and 337 (causing hurt TWednesday organised a Devesh Chandra Police being engaged in fight Ted two men for indulging Delhi. sons with burn injuries were by act endangering life or per- webinar on ‘awareness, pre- Shrivastava, Special against the pandemic all along, enior Aam Aadmi Party in black-marketing of oxygen The victims have been taken out from their house by sonal safety of others) of the vention and coping strategies Commissioner of Police, its role as frontline worker is S(AAP) leader Durgesh cylinders from west Delhi’s identified as Shalender (45), 80 the local public and shifted to Indian Penal Code has been for Covid-19 for its field func- Economic Offences Wing not less than to the medical Pathak alleged that the munic- Punjabi Bagh area. The accused per cent burnt, Rani (15), 80 hospital for treatment. Later, registered and investigation is tionaries. Police personnel and (EOW), gave brief of the wel- staff. However, the virulence ipal corporations are not pay- have been identified as Shrey per cent burnt, Koshlender they were referred to taken up,” senior police official officials across the city were fare initiatives, inter alia, dis- and intensity of the current ing salaries to its employees Oberai (30), a resident of (30), 30 per cent burnt and Safdarjung Hospital for further added. part of the webinar. tribution of homeopathic and virus is different from the pre- even during this deadly pan- Vikaspuri, and Abhishek Shubham (9), 40 per cent treatment,” said the senior All injured persons are “The webinar was ayurvedic immunity boosters, vious one,” said Mittal. demic of Covid-19. Nanda (32), a resident of burnt, residents of Ravi Nagar police official. under treatment and not in addressed by Dr Rajiv Mehta, operating of Covid care centres “The panelists emphasized Pathak said Covid-19 is Shalimar Bagh. Extension. “During inquiry, it was condition to give their state- Consultant Psychiatrist, for police personnel and their wearing of double mask and its spreading at a fast pace and the According to a senior police According to a senior revealed that the family was ment. Local investigation is Institute of Psychiatry and family members and liaison proper handling. Immediate mortalities are increasing not official, police had received a police official, two police con- present in the house and dur- being done and after obtaining Behavioral Science, Sir Ganga with hospitals for ensuring isolation for those diagnosed only in Delhi but in the whole tip-off regarding black market- trol room (PCR) calls were ing changing of the LPG cylin- of the statements of injured Ram Hospital, and Dr Neeraj treatment on priority. Five covid positive with medicine at country. “We have been wit- ing of oxygen cylinders by received on Wednesday regard- der, it accidently leaked and the persons, further probe will be Jain, Chairman Department ambulances for transporting the advice of doctors was nessing frequent crowds in Oberai following which a police ing fire in LPG cylinder at Ravi whole house caught fire, due to carried out, police said. of Chest Medicine, Sir Ganga covid suspected police per- emphasized. hospitals and Covid centers. team was formed. “Thereafter, People are anxious to get their a raid was conducted and tests done. On the other hand, Oberai was apprehended there are cleaners of Delhi along with his car and two who are engaged day and night oxygen cylinders. He told in the service of the people of police that he had purchased Delhi. These employees are these cylinders for 37,000 stepping out of their homes for each and was further selling the safety of the people of for 50,000 each through Delhi,” he added. social media,” said the senior “The BJP-led MCDs has police official. always been making excuses “During interrogation, when it comes to paying he revealed that he has a salaries to its employees. The business of online toys sell- employees are in poor condi- ing and had procured the tion and even it is hard for cylinders from his associate them to earn their bread and Nanda. Nanda was also butter,” he said. held,” the official said. :   2! 3           “He was admitted in the ,-- .' jail on March 9, in a case of POCSO Act at Bindapur 61-year-old undertrial police station,” said the prison Aprisoner of Tihar Jail died officials. five days after he had tested On Tuesday, a 43-year- positive for Covid-19. Police old under-trial prisoner of said the inmate was under- Tihar Jail also died. going treatment at Guru Teg Mohammad Anish, lodged in Bahadur (GTB) hospital. prison since December 2019 The deceased has been in a case under the Narcotic identified as Mukesh Talwar, Drugs and Psychotropic a resident of Jain Park, New Substances Act, tested posi- Delhi. According to Sandeep tive for COVID-19 on Goel, the Director General Monday and was admitted to (DG) of prison, Talwar, an a jail hospital with mild inmate of central jail number symptoms. 7 of Tihar, was tested for On Tuesday morning, his Covid-19 and found positive condition deteriorated and he on April 22. was referred to Deen Dayal “He was referred to GTB Upadhyay Hospital in emer- Hospital and admitted there gency. Later, he died in the on the same day. Later, infor- hospital in the afternoon. mation was received that he Four inmates died due to has expired in the hospital on coronavirus in Delhi since the Tuesday,” said the DG. pandemic began last year.  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)- 

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'  "  mid pandemic, the Centre       ,-- .' Ahas so far received 8,665 ! " " ' converted into a Covid hospi- applications seeking subsidised    () n a unique method to meet tal with comprehensive loan worth 8,216 crore under   '& ! * Ithe ongoing shortage of oxy- arrangements for providing the Agriculture Infrastructure    " ' gen, the Defence Research and critical care to all incoming Fund (AIF) scheme launched '
'"   Development Organisation patients. to augment post-harvest infra- (DRDO) will use the technol- At the start of the current structure in the country. ogy used for generating oxygen Covid wave, the Base Hospital Under the AIF scheme, Stating that AIF will bring for Tejas fighter jet for pro- catered for 340 Covid beds of implemented in 2020-21 for ten together the collective power of ducing it for civilians. The which just 250 beds were oxy- years, about 1 lakh crore will all stakeholders in the agricul- transfer of know how will see genated. This resource was be provided by banks and ture ecosystem, the ministry more than 550 plants coming being severely stretched for financial institutions as loans said, "While most of these up in the next three months all duced by industries working gen cylinders especially at high additional capacities due to with interest subvention of 3 states are leveraging their over the country. with Indian Institute of altitude and inaccessible exponential rise in Covid cases. per cent per annum and cred- strong cooperatives network to Giving details of this inno- Petroleum, Dehradun, belong- remote areas. The MOP has Despite the beds being filled it guarantee coverage under take the lead, Madhya Pradesh vative way to augment oxygen ing to the Council for Scientific already been installed at some to their capacity, patients over CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee stands out with the highest   ,-- .' the Railway has drawn a de- production, fight corona pan- and Industrial Research(CSIR). of the Army sites in North East and above this capacity are being Fund Trust for Micro and non-PACS applications. centralised plan of action demic, the DRDO officials said Medical Oxygen Plant and Leh-Ladakh region. The treated in the Trauma Centre Small Enterprises) for loans up The ministry is taking sev- ore than 500 metric empowering Zones and here on Wednesday the (MOP) technology is capable of plant complies with after obtaining their willingness to 3 crore. "Agriculture eral initiatives to accelerate Mtonnes of liquid medical Divisions to work out their Medical Oxygen Plant (MOP) generating oxygen with 93±3% International Standards like to wait for beds. A plan was Infrastructure Fund has on-ground investments. It has oxygen (LMO) have been deliv- MoU for cohesive action for technology for On-Board concentration which can be ISO 1008, European, US and quickly put in place to expand crossed the 8,000 crore mark, directly reached out to over 150 ered by Indian Railways net- Isolation Coaches which can Oxygen Generation for Tejas directly supplied to hospital Indian Pharmacopeia. Site the capacity to 650 Covid beds after receiving 8,665 applica- FPOs and livelihood organisa- work to Maharashtra, Uttar be easily moved and posi- light combat aircraft (LCA) beds or can be used to fill med- preparation for five plants to be of which 450 beds will be oxy- tions worth 8,216 crore," the tions, along with IFFCO, Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & tioned at places of demand on will now help in fighting the ical oxygen cylinders. It utilis- installed in Delhi and nation- genated by April 30. The Agriculture Ministry said in a HAFED, NAFED & others. Delhi to meet the demands of the Indian Railways network. current crisis of oxygen for es Pressure Swing Adsorption al capital region(NCR)region Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is also statement. Out of this, over These initiatives have led to not the critical Covid patients in Accordingly, as per States’ Covid-19 patients. (PSA) technique and Molecular has already been initiated. being enhanced from 12 beds 35 4,000 crore has been sanc- only an overall increase in need of the life saving air. demand, at present 191 coach- The oxygen plant is Sieve (Zeolite) technology to The DRDO has initiated ICU beds by April 29. Next phase tioned so far, it said. applications but an increase in Also strengthening the es have been handed over to designed for a capacity of 1,000 generate oxygen directly from fabrication of 332 MOP to of expansion will see the present Maximum applications interest in innovative infra capabilities of the nation in the various states for Covid care litres per minute (LPM). The atmospheric air. Tata Advanced Systems capacity being augmented to have been received from projects such as custom hiring united fight against Covid, the with a bed-capacity of 2990 system can cater to 190 patients The MOP technology will Limited, Bengaluru and 48 to 900 oxygenated beds by the sec- Primary Agricultural Credit centres and farm machinery Ministry of Railways claimed to beds. Isolation Coaches are at a flow rate of 5 LPM and be useful to provide oxygen Trident Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., ond week of June, army officials Societies (PACS) followed bya- banks for which 130 applica- have deployed nearly 4,000 presently utilised at Delhi, charge 195 cylinders per day. supply during Corona Coimbatore with a target of said here on Wednesday. gri-entrepreneurs and individ- tions have been received. About Isolation Coaches with almost Maharashtra (Ajni ICD, Officials said the technol- Pandemic in hospitals in urban producing 125 plants per In another initiative, a ual farmers, it said. These 200 applications are for devel- 64,000 beds. Nandrubar), Madhya Pradesh ogy was transferred to Tata and rural areas. Hospitals will month under PM CARES Covid tele-consultancy and investments are for a wide oping infrastructure for smart Haryana Government also (Tihi near Indore). The Advanced Systems Limited, be able to generate on site med- Fund. Information Management Cell range of projects which will and precision agriculture. requested the railways for Railways has also positioned 50 Bengaluru and Trident ical oxygen, in a cost-effective In a related development, under a senior officer is func- unlock value for farmers across The ministry said it has Oxygen Express for which the coaches at major cities of Uttar Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., manner with this oxygen plant the Army has augmented the tioning 24 x 7 rendering med- the country. States leading the created a portal — https://agri- tankers were loaded in Pradesh like Faizabad, Coimbatore. They will be pro- rather than depending upon strength of the beds of its ical advice as well as informa- front are Andhra Pradesh infra.dac.gov.in—for the Faridabad to be sent for Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli and ducing 380 plants for installa- sourcing it from other places. covid facility the Base Hospital, tion about admitted patients (2,125 applications), Madhya scheme where stakeholders can Rourkela for filling. As of now, Nazibabad. tion across various hospitals in The installation of this Delhi Cantonment for veterans with due sensitivity. On an Pradesh (1,830), Uttar Pradesh submit applications and mon- It is planned that two Oxygen In Delhi, the Railway has the country. Also, 120 plants of plant helps in avoiding hospi- and their dependents. In fact, average, 1200-1300 calls are (1,255), Karnataka (1,071) and itor the progress of the appli- Express with a capacity of five catered to demand for 75 500 LPM capacity will be pro- tal dependency on scarce oxy- the entire hospital has been handled by this cell. Rajasthan (613), it added. cations. tankers each will be run specif- Covid Care Coaches with a ically for Haryana. capacity of 1,200 beds. 50 Madhya Pradesh received coaches are positioned at its first Oxygen Express carry- Shakurbasti and 25 Coaches at     
 ,! R;<    ing more than 64 metric tonnes Anand Vihar stations. 5 admis- of liquid medical oxygen on sions were registered as on Wednesday morning. These date. 1196 beds are still avail-   
    *  # =   tankers were unloaded at var- able, as per information by the  ious locations in Madhya railways ministry. Pradesh in cities like Jabalpur With regard to the demand   ,-- .' Ambani, JSW Group, Adani, to 2,400 litres per minute. (1 Tanker), Bhopal (2 Tankers) by the Madhya Pradesh for two ITC, and Jindal Steel and In fact, even trusts too are & Sagar (3 Tankers). coaches, the Ratlam Division ith unprecedented rise Power, to name a few, have gearing up to ensure seamless The fourth Oxygen Express of Western Railway has Win Covid-19 cases fol- come forward to help hospitals supply in state hospitals as destined for Lucknow was deployed 22 Coaches with a lowed by acute shortage of treating Covid-19 patients by Covid cases are increasing scheduled to reach Lucknow on capacity of 320 beds at Tihi sta- medical oxygen pushing the supplying medical oxygen, exponentially resulting in huge Wednesday night while anoth- tion near Indore. At Bhopal, hospitals across the States to the cryogenic vessels, portable con- demand for oxygen. er empty rake was on its way where 20 coaches are deployed, edge, the Government and the centrators and generators to The Shri Ram (6th) from Lucknow to Bokaro, there were 13 admissions with private sectors are stepping hospitals in need. Janmabhoomi Teerath Kshetra which will bring another set of one discharge as per latest forward to set up the oxygen “We have around 171 oxy- trust recently announced set- oxygen tanker replenishing data. 280 beds are available at manufacturing plants in their gen cylinders including jumbo ting up of an oxygen plant at oxygen supply to Uttar this facility. hospitals as a self-reliant strat- ones in our PHCs and district the Dasrath Medical College, Pradesh. "The utilisation of these egy. hospitals. But to meet the Ayodhya, while PPL has decid- "Continuous Oxygen facilities in the above-men- For instance, anticipating emergency if any given that sit- ed to install three pressure Express to Uttar Pradesh is tioned states, as per latest increasing demand of oxygen uation is tough and its like a swing adsorption oxygen gen- ensuring uninterrupted oxygen records, cumulatively registers in the coming days as several war like, our plan to set up oxy- eration plants in various health replenishment to the residents 103 admissions with 39 subse- migrants are already on the way gen plant proposal is in Facilities across Odisha. of UP. So far, Indian Railways quent discharges. Presently 64 to their native places, Nawada progress. We are already in Taking a cue, Indian has delivered 202 metric Covid patients are utilising the district Magistrate Yashpal talks with vendors.” said Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative tonnes to Uttar Pradesh, 174 isolation coaches," said the offi- Meena in Bihar is finalising the Nawada district Meena, an IAS Ltd IFFCO, a cooperative fer- metric tonnes to Maharashtra, cial. plan to install an oxygen man- officer of the 2014 batch, over tiliser major said that it would 70 metric tonnes to Delhi and In UP, though coaches have ufacturing plant at a district phone to The Pioneer. set up four oxygen plants in Madhya Pradesh 64 metric not yet been requisitioned by hospital while his colleague Vaccination is also in a full Gujarat (Kalol), UP (Aonla tonnes," said a senior railway State Govt, 10 coaches each have Nandurbar collector Dr swing, he said but did not rule and Phulpur) and Odisha official. been positioned at Faizabad, Rajendra Bharud in out further spurt in the cases. (Paradeep) at the total cost of To work concurrently with Bhadohi, Varanasi, Bareli & Maharashtra has already set up True to his fears, after the sec- 30 crore. the States and in a bid to Nazibabad totalling to a capac- a liquid oxygen plant in the dis- ond Covid-19 wave hit the According to industry  ,-- .' Ravindra Bhat, was uploaded municated to the Central reach out as swiftly as possible, ity of 800 beds (50 coaches). trict he heads. state, the district reported experts, it takes at least 15 days on the top court's website on Government on a daily basis Similarly, cooperative around 1500 Covid cases on to transport, install and com- aking note of resurgence Wednesday and dealt in so as to ensure that the avail- majors like IFFCO is estab- Wednesday from 627 on April mission an oxygen plant. The Tof Covid-19 cases, the details aspects of its future ability of oxygen is commen- lishing three oxygen plants at 21, with higher concentration UP government on its own is Supreme Court has asked the hearings. surate with the need of each ++,! O.P Aonla and Phulpur in Uttar in the town areas. The district setting up 10 oxygen plants for Centre to apprise it of pro- "Supply of oxygen - The State or, as the case may be, Pradesh and Paradip in Odisha in Bihar had saw arrival of 60 unabated supply of oxygen to jected demand of oxygen in Court should be apprised by Union Territory," the order while Paradeep Phosphate ltd thousands migrant last lock- all the hospitals in the State. the country, how it intends to the Union of India on (a) The said, specifying issues to be  ! "  PPL has decided to install down. Shortage of oxygen for allocate it to "critically-affect- projected demand for oxygen taken up by the court on three pressure swing adsorp- His senior, Nandurbar col- Covid patients in different hos- ed" states and the monitoring in the country at the present April 30. tion oxygen generation plants lector Dr Bharud has already pitals and Covid treatment mechanism to ensure smooth point of time and in the fore- It asked central govern-   ,-- .' tected by 11 security person- in various health facilities set up the liquid oxygen plant facilities has created a hue and supply. seeable future; (b) The steps ment to consider framing a nel of the CRPF including one across Odisha. at the district hospital at a cost cry in the country. The coop- The apex court termed the taken and proposed to aug- policy specifying standards he Union Home Ministry or two trained commandos in Joining the race is India of 85 lakhs. In January and erative body has already placed pandemic situation as "nation- ment the availability of oxy- and norms to be observed for Ton Wednesday accorded personal protection. The secu- Inc. Companies including the February this year, he set up an order for setting up of one al crisis' and said that being gen, meeting both the current admitting patients to hospitals ‘Y’ category security cover on rity cover will be provided to industrial majors like Tata two more plants, following Rs 7-crore worth oxygen plant the last Constitutional court, and projected requirements; and COVID-19 centres. an all India basis to Chief the protectee at all places Group, Reliance Industries which the capacity of oxygen at its Kalol unit in Gujarat to be it cannot remain a "mute spec- "(c) The monitoring The order sought replies Executive Officer (CEO) of the across the country, including Limited headed by Mukesh plants in the district increased made functional. tator". mechanism for ensuring the from the Centre and states on word's largest vaccine manu- during transits. It has made clear howev- supply of oxygen, particular- issues such as "enhancement facturer Serum Institute of Poonawalla, 40, is one of er that its suo motu proceed- ly to critically affected States of critical medical infrastruc- India (SII) Adar Poonawalla. the key players in the country’s ing on devising national pol- and Union Territories as well ture, including the availabili- The Ministry has tasked fight against the Covid-19 icy for COVID-19 manage- as the other areas; (d) The ty of beds, Covid treatment the Central Reserve Police pandemic. The Covishield 
  /   ment is not meant to supplant basis on which allocation of centres with duly equipped Force (CRPF) to secure vaccine developed by the high court hearings. oxygen is being made from medical personnel on the Poonawalla. The CRPF has Pune-based SII is one of the The order, passed on the central pool; and (e) The basis of the projected require- received the order to prepare two anti-Covid jabs, which are Tuesday by a bench of justices methodology adopted for ment of healthcare profes- for the task, sources said. currently administered to the    P  D Y Chandrachud, L ensuring that the require- sionals and anticipated As part of the security beneficiaries across the coun- Nageswara Rao and S ments of the States are com- requirements". cover, Poonawalla will be pro- try.

  ,-- .' problems. tered, new registration with <  #  #
     "The motor vehicle tax the new state-registering ejas, India's indigenous will be levied for two years or authority has to be made TLight Combat Aircraft, in multiple of two. This within 12 months," explained added the fifth generation "
#    +  "    scheme will facilitate free the MoRTH statment. Python-5 air-to-air missile movement of personal vehi- In the present circum- (AAM) to its air-to-air weapons   ,-- .' cles across any state of India stances, a passenger vehicle capability on Tuesday, the upon relocation to a new user has to take cumbersome Defence Research and he Centre on Wednesday state,' said a MoRTH Press steps to re-register a vehicle Development Organisation Tissued a notification of statement. which includes a No (DRDO) said on Wednesday. draft rules to make it much According to MoRTH Objection Certificate from "Trials were also aimed to easier for those shifting from one of the main points in the the Parent State for assign- validate enhanced capability one State to another to re-reg- vehicle registration process ment of new registration of already integrated Derby ister their vehicles with a new that still needed attention mark in another state; assign- Beyond Visual Range (BVR) series "IN'. The step comes in was re-registration of a vehi- ment of new registration AAM on Tejas," the DRDO the context of several citizen- cle while moving to another mark after the road tax on said in a statement. centric steps and an IT-based state. pro-rata basis is paid in the Defence Minister Rajnath achieved 100 per cent hits, Missile Weapon Delivery solution for vehicle registra- "Station relocation occurs new State and application for Singh congratulated the teams thereby validating their com- System and the Flight Control tion taken by the govern- with both, Government and refund of the road tax in the of DRDO, ADA, Indian Air plete capability. System. ment. Defence personnel, employees if getting registered in Punjab private sector employees. parent State on pro-rata basis. Force, HAL and all involved in "The trials met all their In Goa, after successful The Ministry of Road of Central Government, State and then comeback to claim Such movements create a 'The provision to get the trial. planned objectives," the separation trials, live launch of Transport & Highways Governments, Central/ State the refund form UP. Now, sense of unease in the minds refund from the parent State The test firing in Goa com- DRDO stated. the missile on a Banshee tar- (MoRTH) has proposed the PSUs and private sector com- with the new scheme in place of employees with regard to on pro-rata basis is a very pleted a series of missile trials Prior to the trials, extensive get was carried out. Python-5 new system of vehicle regis- panies/organizations, which the person seeking to have transfer of registration from cumbersome process, which to validate its performance missile carriage flight tests missile live firing was con- tration, wherein allocation have their offices in five or the IN symbol registration the parent state to another varies from one State to under extremely challenging were conducted in Bengaluru ducted to validate target would be marked as “IN” more States/Union Territories. will pay taxes for only two state. While a person is another. These will be made scenarios. The Derby missile to assess integration of the mis- engagement from all aspects as series- and this will be on pilot In simpler terms, if the years in UP and then if going allowed to keep the vehicle more simpler with the use of achieved direct hit on a high- sile with aircraft systems well as beyond visual ranges. In test mode. This vehicle regis- vehicle registered in Uttar Punjab on transfer will pay for 12 months in any state technology and advanced IT speed maneuvering aerial tar- onboard the Tejas, like all the live firings, the missiles tration facility under “IN Pradesh alreday paid taxes for same tenure thus saving other than the state where the solutions," said a MoRTH get and the Python missiles also Avionics, Fire-control radar, hit the aerial target. series” will be available to for 15 years has to pay taxes the owner from multiple vehicle is originally regis- official.   " #$%&' &($  )*+),)-

012+,1 3 !4+/%          !"#$#%& ' ()*"+,-&, B   !-            1;0' ple in due course. We will be able to administer the doses  
      9: 900 ber of super-sensitive polling 43,55,835 male, 41,21,735 from the CPI(M). announce the vaccination pro- to all the people in the targeted stations, a little more than women and 158 of the third Apart from making mas- n twin major policy initiatives, gramme for people in this age category. “Hence it is my appeal #    $.-,,0' he Election Commission of 21,000 CAPF jawans would gender — will decide the polit- sive security arrangements the Ithe Maharashtra Government group shortly”. to all the youngsters to exercise TIndia (ECI) has made elab- man 11 polling in ical fate of 283 candidates in the Commission has also taken on Wednesday decided to give In a separate interaction patience. Be assured, the vac- here was no let up in the daily orate bandobast for the eighth Murshidabad. About 11,000 eighth phase. extra measures to enforce coro- Covid-19 vaccine free of cost to with the media, State Health cines will be given to you free Tcount of Covid-19 patients in and final phase of the Assembly forces have been deployed in Among the 283 candidates na guidelines during the eighth all the people in the 18-45 Minister Rajesh Tope said: of cost. Though it is compulso- Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. A elections that will take place on Malda and 9,500 have been put in the fray, 64 have declared phase, ECI sources said, years’ age group, but postponed “Though we have decided to ry for you to register your release by the Directorate of Public Thursday amid rising number on duty in North Kolkata, EC criminal cases against them- adding social distancing mea- indefinitely the launch of the give free vaccines to people in names on COWIN App, please Health and Preventive Medicine of corona cases. sources said. selves. sures have been taken in third phase of vaccination pro- the age group of 19-45 years. But don’t go to the vaccination cen- said 16, 665 new persons were test- About 75,000 Central Incidentally, Birbhum has Out of them 21 are from each booth. gramme for the 18-45 years age the vaccination for this catego- tres immediately after register- ed positive for the pandemic in the forces would man the polling been one of the most violence the BJP, 11 from the Trinamool “Besides providing masks group scheduled for May 1, ry of people in Maharashtra will ing your names. Because, you last 24 hours that ended on in 11, 860 polling stations prone districts with blocks like Congress (TMC), 10 from the and santisers to the polling staff owing to lack of adequate vac- not begin from May 1 as will not get jabs immediately”. Wednesday evening. in 35 constituencies across four Nanoor, Luvpur, Ilambazar, Congress Party and seven from measures are also being taken cine stocks. announced by the Union gov- The minister said that there The State also saw 98 persons districts of Birbhum, Muhammad Bazaar witnessing the CPI(M). Of the 64 candi- to arrange for the same for the Talking to media persons ernment. This is because of the were as many as 5.71 crore peo- succumbing to the pandemic on a Murshidabad, Malda and maximum electoral violence. dates with criminal cases, 50 voters who do not carry mask after the State Cabinet formal lack of adequate stocks of vac- ple in the state in the age group single day that took the fatalities till North Kolkata, EC sources With repeated discovery of have declared serious criminal with them,” sources said. go-ahead to the free vaccination cines at this juncture. An of 18-45 years. “An empowered date to 13,826. said. Out of 35 constituencies drums-load bombs and bullets, cases against themselves. However, election staff at for the people in the 18-45 years’ empowered Cabinet sub-com- Cabinet sub-committee will There are 1, 10, 308 Covid-19 11 each are in Birbhum and the ECI has posted six senior The final phase of the elec- Domkol in Murshdabad and age group, Chief Minister mittee will chalk out a plan to chalk out the vaccination pro- patients across the State as on Murshidabad, seven are in police officers at Birbhum apart tions has 55 “crorepati” candi- English Bazar in Malda said Uddhav Thackeray said, “We vaccinate all those in the age gramme. We intend to sub- Wednesday evening. Kolkata North and six are in from appointing Nagendranath dates with the net value of their pandemic norms were hardly have decided to give free vac- group of 19-45 years in the next divide this age group into three The Capital city of Chennai Malda. Tripathy as t he Superintendent declared assets being Rs 1 crore being followed in the sense that cines to all those in the age six months”. categories – 18 to 25 years, 25 saw 4,764 new cases while While 22,400 Central secu- of the district. Tripathy super- and beyond. Of the 55 “most of the buses are group of 19-45 years. The State Tope said that even if the to 35 years and 35 to 44 years. Chengalpattu registered 1,219 rity personnel will guard more vised the high-voltage polling “crorepatis” 28 are from the crammed with election staff,” Health department will decide state government were to pro- We are also looking at option of patients. The industrial hub of than 3,000 booths in Birbhum at Nandigram. TMC, 12 from the BJP, five a presiding officer of a on the schedule of free vacci- cure adequate stocks of vaccines vaccinating the people in the age Coimbatore saw 963 new district which has most num- Over 84.70 lakh voters — from the Congress and one Murshidabad booth said. nation for this category of peo- by the end of May, it would not group of 35 to 44 years first” patients. -!A)     !    P
 ' @# .4    # 9 0.$I#  !!   %  2   2!   !  Guwahati/New Delhi: A series and two 3.6 magnitudes at 8.03 three people getting injured in "  $
       9: 900 of earthquakes jolted Assam am, 8.13 am, 8.25 am and 8.44 the earthquake. However, there Mumbai: In the fourth major were evacuated from the fire- and most of the Northeast on am, Regional Meteorological is no death. We are still collect- Lucknow: Justice Virendra Kumar mishap in a hospital in hit hospital, four patients – n a bizarre development, the widow of a deceased Wednesday, causing extensive Centre (RMC) Deputy Director ing reports from different dis- Srivastava, a sitting judge of the Allahabad Mumbai Metropolitan Region from among the six patients ITrinamool Congress candidate Kajal Sinha who damage to buildings and forcing Sanjay O’neil Shaw said. tricts and assessing the total High Court, passed away on Wednesday (MMR) in little over a month, undergoing treatment at the died of corona has filed a police complaint against people to scamper out of their Another earthquake of 3.2 damage to the properties. It will after being afflicted by Covid. four patients were killed when Prime Criticare Hospital’s ICU Election Commission of India and its officials includ- homes. There were no imme- magnitude hit Assam’s Nagaon take some more time,” Assam Justice Srivastava was at the Lucknow a major fire broke out at Prime – succumbed to burns at the ing Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain for diate reports of deaths, but district at 10.05 am. A while State Disaster Management Bench of the Allahabad High Court. Criticare Hospital at Mumbra’s nearly Billal Hospital, where causing death of her husband. three people were injured as the later, another jolt of 3.4 magni- Authority (ASDMA) CEO He obtained his law degree in 1986 Kausa area in Thane district in there had been rushed to ear- Sinha, a 59-year-old candidate from the Khardah first quake of 6.4 magnitude tude hit Tezpur at 10.39 am. Gyanendra Tripathi told PTI. and completed his post-graduate studies the early hours of Wednesday. lier. Of the four dead, two were Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas had struck Tezpur, the headquarters At 12.32 pm, the eighth quake Several roads in the region in 1988. He was, thereafter, appointed in The fire broke out at Prime women patients. succumbed to corona infections on Sunday morn- of Sonitpur district in Assam, at of 2.9 magnitude hit Marigaon. developed wide cracks, affecting the Higher Judicial Service in 2005, and Criticare Hospital at around 4 State Housing Minister and ing. 7.51 am, officials said. There were reports of exten- traffic. Besides, in many areas promoted as District and Sessions Judge am. There were 20 patients at Mumbra-Kalwa MLA Jitendra Sinha’s wife Nandita has brought charges under The impact was felt in sive damage to buildings and fissures were seen in fields with in 2016. He also served as Principal the hospital, at the time of Awhad has rushed to the Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to almost the entire Northeastern other structures from across water oozing out, officials said. Secretary, Legislative between 2016 and mishap. Of them six were mishap spot. “The cause of the murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), Section 269, region, parts of West Bengal, Assam, mostly in the central and The National Centre for 2018. undergoing treatment at the fire has not been established (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease Bhutan and Bangladesh. western towns of Tezpur, Seismology (NCS) said damage In November 2018, he was appoint- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of yet. Initial reports have said that dangerous to life) Section 270 (Malignant act like- The first quake was fol- Nagaon, Guwahati, Mangaldoi, to buildings and structures was ed an Additional Judge of the Allahabad the hospital. three persons died in the ly to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) lowed in quick succession by Dhekiajuli and Morigaon. reported from areas within 100 High Court and made a permanent Though all the 20 patients mishap”. PNS of the Indian Penal Code. lesser intensity tremors of 4.7, 4, “We have received reports of km radius of the epicentre.PTI Judge in November 2020. IANS  !  >  $ #  -   2     
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 "   !  # #       1;0' #    9:$.' faced by the State. “Though I             1;0'  #    +  # plies from those countries,” # O   # had instructed the Prime   
  "  Chavan said. ongressman and former MP Eknath ovid-19 preventive mea- Minister to make vaccines olding the BJP-led NDA Government “Incompetent leadership, compla- Gaikwad, a loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi Latur: A man was slapped sures in Kerala are on the available to the State at the     #$
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 "  Hsquarely responsible for the current cency and callousness has driven India family, died of Covid-19 here on Wednesday. with a fine of 50,000 for verge of collapse as Wednesday same rate at which the Centre       medical oxygen crisis in the country, to this catastrophe....We are paying a He was 81. Late AGaikwad’s daughter allegedly violating the Covid- saw 35,103 new persons getting is getting it from the manufac- L M      # # Maharashtra’s former Chief Minister and huge price for this incompetent leader- Varsha Gaikwad is the school education min- 19 norms by inviting over 250 diagnosed with the pandemic. turers, no action was taken on 0 BF 6 senior Congress leader Prtihviraj Chavan ship. This complacency and lack of deci- ister in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government. guests for his daughter’s wed- This is the highest tally to be that suggestion. While the on Wednesday charged that the country sive action at the highest level has dri- A former Maharashtra minister and ex- ding in Maharashtra’s Latur registered by the State on a sin- Centre procures vaccines at the     was paying for Prime Minister Narendra ven India to this catastrophe,” the former Mumbai Congress president, Gaikwad had been district, an official said on gle day, according to Chief rate of Rs 150 per dose, the      Modi’s “incompetent” leadership. Union Minister said. battling with Covid-19 for some days now. He Wednesday. Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He States are charged Rs 400 per 4 (    In a statement issued here, Chavan Chavan said that he was appalled by breathed his last at Breach Candy Hospital in According to the local said the State was facing severe dose,” said Vijayan. $  )($*  said: “It is clear that the Govt miserably the Home Ministry’s statement on April south Mumbai at 10 am. authorities, Ram Govind shortage of vaccine and would According to Vijayan, the 
 # "  $:>' 7F failed to act in time to ensure adequate 26l, claiming that there was enough avail- A two-term Lok Sabha and three-time Biradar had organised his procure one crore dose vac- steep hike in the number of
 "       supplies of oxygen, resulting in an ability of oxygen in the country. Maharashtra assembly member, Gaikwad had daughter’s wedding in Talegao cines directly from the manu- Covid-19 patients in the State         unprecedented oxygen crisis. Desperate “It shows the government is still in been hospitalised more than a fortnight ago./. (Bho) village of Deoni tehsil on facturers. is on account of the indiffer-     #     calls are being made every minute by denial mode. Relatives of Covid patients “Congress Party’s senior leader, Ex-MP, Ex- Monday. “We are going to introduce ence of the Centre towards  "  "      hospitals and patients to get oxygen”. who have died due to lack of oxygen Minister Eknath Gaikwad Ji passed away Block development officer tough measures in Kerala as Kerala. “We in Kerala are doing I        "  “Hospitals are refusing to admit want answers. I demand that the today. My deepest condolences to his daugh- Manoj Raut and deputy tehsil- there is a shortage of beds and whatever we could do but the      #
  # patients. Reports of patients dying due Minister of Health and the ter and Education Minister of Maharashtra dar Vilas Tarange were inspect- ICUs in the State hospitals. Centre’s attitude is not at all      ##   lack of oxygen are pouring in from all others responsible for this tragedy be @VarshaEGaikwad, Gaikwad family and his ing the curfew in Deoni, when Those who get a second attack helpful,” said the Chief Minister     
   over the country. Private hospitals in sacked immediately,” the senior Congress friends/supporters,” tweeted Maharashtra State they noticed the event, and of Covid-19 and who are aged who also disclosed that the Test    Delhi had to approach the High Court leader said. Youth Congress leader Satyajeet Tambe. found 250 to 300 people gath- need not come to hospitals as Positivity Ratio in the State as to get oxygen,” he said. Chavan said that the Union gov- Hailing from an Ambedkarite Buddhist ered at the venue, the official they could undergo treatment on Wednesday was 25.34 per    “Prime Minister Modi’s self-pro- ernment was “is fully responsible” for family, Gaikwad had represented the Mumbai said. As per the COVID-19 in their houses itself,” said cent.  ! claimed victory over the Covid-19 pan- the current oxygen crisis in the country. South Central Lok Sabha constituency. He had curbs, only 25 people are Vijayan in his daily media Ernakulam district which 4 0"  # # 
 demic at the World Economic Forum The Congress leader said it was evi- also served as a member of the Maharashtra allowed to be present at wed- interaction. diagnosed 5,287 patients with    ; !
 "  had left the global community aghast, dent from the press conference addressed Legislative Assembly for three terms, as a rep- dings. The father of the bride The Chief Minister blamed the pandemic on Wednesday       particularly as more than 50 countries by the Secretary, Ministry of Health and resentative from Dharavi. He was the health, was fined Rs 50,000 for flout- the Centre for all the problems topped the table of districts.    4""   have banned incoming flights from Family Welfare, on October 20, 2020 medical education, social justice minister  "    &" India. And now we are desperately ask- about the availability of liquid medical when Vilasrao Deshmukh was the chief min-       " #   ing for oxygen and other medical sup- oxygen (LMO) in the country. ister in the state from 1999 to 2004. #     "J " J"     ">";       $+ 0:  #$   '((  !   $ 9+ #"       +  !
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     Wednesday decided to strictly one each in Jammu and Srinagar  "         # enforce ‘corona curfew’ from by the Defence Research and     Thursday evening till early Development Organization Monday morning across 11 dis- (DRDO) at the earliest.     tricts after more than 3000 fresh The twin capital cities of     - cases of coronavirus were Jammu and Srinagar continue to 8;3< <I  $   reported while 30 more patients report the maximum number of 0 !     "  succumbed to the virus taking coronavirus cases. The hospital        the tally of deaths due to Covid authorities have already started    + !    19 to 2227. raising fresh alarms amid rapid 
 
  According to a spokesman surge in the number of corona !          of the Jammu and Kashmir positive cases. Reacting to the 
$:>' # government, “ out of 20 districts media reports vis-a-vis shortage    " "     in Jammu and Kashmir 11 dis- of oxygen supply in the hospi-      "     tricts namely Srinagar, tal the J&k government in a   "     Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, statement said that the daily con- Kulgam, Pulwama, Ganderbal, sumption of the life sustaining 8    Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, gas in the UT as on April 28 is (/$/(&   Udhampur will go under 25,000 cubic metres. 8;3< <I    7BE Corona Curfew / Lockdown Against this consumption, $:>' 7F      from tomorrow evening (7 pm) the present generation capacity 7JJ76
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 #  6FBJ  were also suspended across sev- house hospital generation capac-  DJ6D88     eral places in Kashmir valley in ity of 24,500 cubic metres and  #     the wake of worrisome situation industrial capacity of 30,000 " 
   on ground zero. The active pos- cubic metres daily,as of 7J668B       itive cases in J&k stood at 24313 Wednesday, the handout said. on wednesday. Out of 30 deaths, To tackle the issue of short- 8 =  '"" 12 were reported from Jammu age of beds needed for Covid-19 + !  &"   and 18 from Kashmir division in patientsChief Secretary, Jammu 8;3< +  .    the last 24 hours. & Kashmir B V R <#+"      On Wednesday Srinagar Subrahmanyam, FC Health Atal    #  "    district alone recorded 951 fresh Dulloo, Union Secretaries of the    6JD"    cases while Jammu district concerned departments and 0 6ED&7"     reported 499 new cases of officers from DRDO, ITBP, and F FEE"     Coronavirus. Meanwhile, the AFMS Institute participated in 6E Union Home Secretary, Ajay the meeting.  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)- 3

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  !       !      !        !  =  ?!0!  #$%&!%+4                )                       ( +              9    ;  4 +  <4+=  + '  @ "    " "       9  +                          * $    #  #  4+  #        3 9        "       + <39+=          .>?        t might not be the best way +,-)(./     (               to start an obituary, but the     +,-)   )      4+ 1 P)      ( last time Jagdish Khattar was      9+       in news before his passing awayI on April 26 was last year             Q )S  when the Central Bureau of           Investigation chargesheeted him       S   3 for conspiring to defraud the     0       +,-)(./  Punjab National Bank of 110 crore. This surrounded his one-     #         .?   stop shop for car sales and service )            called ‘Carnation’, which he had      )S        ( begun as a 65-year-old after he           retired from the helm at Maruti Suzuki. ‘Carnation’ was a good +,-)(           idea at the time, indeed such a ser-         #    vice remains a good idea, but one 3 %   S        reason it failed was that many of      "   those who Khattar had counted upon to help him, did not come ,                  ( to the table. The man who culti-                   ( vated an entire generation of       (    3   #   #  leaders in the automotive indus-  "  #             ( try was let down by some of them. Of course, the argument can be                    made that the industry did not @  39+             #    want to help Khattar establish a European products and, having the Tea Board of India’s oper- where I was at the time.                  ( business which would directly tasted success in China, ations in London, he thought Khattar’s maniacal obses-      >A 3              39+  ( impact their dealers’ main revenue believed they could dominate it would be a good idea to use sion with controlling costs and stream, but a professionally run India. Also, Korean carmakers India’s World Cup team to try reducing wastage transformed            + $  3   39+    ( third-party service might have Daewoo and Hyundai with and sell Indian tea. As we the company. He implemented      P       +,-)(./ Q  S  succeeded and its failure was relatively fresher models, par- know, the Kapil Dev-led team the Kaizen system that dramat-                   : )S  unfortunate, maybe undeserved, ticularly the Matiz and Santro, went on to an epic victory and ically reduced problems with                    ( just like the case against Khattar. respectively, had recently the campaign was a success. finished cars at the end of the    # 4+   3  +        Now that it is out of the way, arrived. It was not as if Suzuki But most importantly, line, improving processes at I will remember Khattar sitting in did not have products to com- .-<0,+:<- Khattar’s role was to mend the suppliers and on the final      39+                 his corner office at the Life pete with the Koreans but the ties between the partners and assembly line. Bringing in ele-                 )S        Insurance Corporation building relations between Suzuki and .-','0, persuade Suzuki Motor ments of the Just-In-Time pro-  3  +            4+       on Delhi’s KG Marg, sipping tea the Government of India, their 01::'>- Corporation to send new tech- duction system, he brought       #             with me and my former colleague joint-venture partner in Maruti nology and models over to inventory costs down for Deepak Joshi. The Hindustan Suzuki, had nosedived. The ',1+<=;= India. The WagonR was already Maruti as well as vendors. He              4+    *$ %   Times office where I worked at the partners were equal sharehold- scheduled for launch but it was slashed inefficient dealers and          B          time was a two-minute walk ers and everything worked “in 9--(',!0<1' supplemented by the Alto. The added new suppliers when       #  S    away. What is remarkable about turns” but the Government’s +1?19',:/1+ Maruti 800 and Zen, which others were not up to the task. this was that I was just starting out appointment of RSSLN were India’s most popular small Despite all his globe-trot- as an automotive industry Bhaskarudu as the Managing <- ->0,;10+ cars at the time, felt relatively ting on work and remaining +!"# reporter and Khattar was in the Director (MD) ruptured rela- .-;'!0=', old-fashioned compared to the immensely busy, he always midst of transforming India’s tions with Osamu Suzuki. Only new Korean competition. The had time to answer his phone largest carmaker. Yet he was gen- after the fear of Maruti Suzuki ,::.-<0/:< WagonR and Alto changed the and meet up for a cup of tea. I erous with his time and patient potentially becoming irrele- market for Maruti. It is a testa- will be eternally grateful for his with my queries. Not every auto- vant after the sales success of 01::'>- ment to those launches that the time, and I regret that I did not motive industry chieftain was the Matiz and Santro did the 0<9-',.- Alto remains one of India’s best keep in touch with him over like that, although I will say that partners relent, agreeing on selling cars alongside the Swift, the past few years. But I will BVR Subbu at Hyundai was also Khattar as the MD. :< :-+:,- another car in whose develop- remember him as the man extremely good with journalists. Khattar had left the Indian $:(0,=:, ment and production Khattar who transformed the Indian Khattar understood the power of Administrative Service and played an integral role. He automotive industry by keep- communication for marketing. joined Maruti on the advice of .0 .-0<9- ensured that Indian engineers ing Maruti Suzuki not just rel- He had taken the helm at RC Bhargava, an ex-IAS offi- '9-0<1':-+ had a say in the Swift’s devel- evant but as the big daddy. In Maruti Suzuki in mid-1999 and cer who established the com- opment and also negotiated no other major automotive one must remember the state of pany and still serves as ',','00, with the Haryana Government market in the world does one the Indian automotive market and Chairman. From the UP for a massive new factory at company own half the market Maruti Suzuki at the time. The cadre, he joined Maruti Suzuki .0'+.- Manesar to build this new car. like Maruti does in India, and market was being transformed by as the Director, Marketing, in -!0$=: I was fortunate to be the very that is Jagdish Khattar’s legacy. the entry of foreign carmakers; the 1993. He told me once that his first journalist to be allowed (The author is Managing Americans Ford and General introduction to marketing /0!'+.9.00< access to this factory for a cover Editor, The Pioneer. The views Motors had come with their started in 1983 when, heading story I wrote for Business Today expressed are personal.) 4 ,56+,4 SOUNDBITE -    !!5    ! % % %   6              ;/(!
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               who tests positive requires a hospital bed or the crisis. The High Court asked the Delhi treatment of COVID and States like Delhi,    "  oxygen. It’s mostly for patients who are Government to take over an oxygen refill- Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh   $  @       +              ing plant with immediate effect and served are facing its shortage. Investigations must     <$ #  ; # already suffering with comorbidities and   '(        5        3         those who start the treatment quite late. We contempt notices to five other refillers. The be carried out at the biggest wholesale med- hospitals in Delhi are facing an acute icine market of Asia, Bhagirath Palace in             2       "  need to be aware, but must not panic. <@D4@0@     S   PQ     3       Ravi Teja Kathuripalli | Hyderabad shortage of oxygen. On April 23, as many Chandni Chowk. K< ( # as 25 “sickest” Coronavirus patients died Black-marketing of several medicines                              overnight in a hospital due to the scarcity and other equipment is done with the ,                     S      #  Sir — It made sense for the Delhi High of oxygen. A day later, at least 20 patients involvement of local authorities. It is time  #    5              P   ( Court to rebuke the Arvind Kejriwal-led died in another hospital. The Delhi to rein in such illegal activities. India is fac- "         Q     (%0           AAP Government on the poor supply of Government needs to pull up its socks and ing an existential crisis and black-market-                   ,            medical oxygen supply and handling of the stop the black-marketing immediately. ing of medicines and medical oxygen       pandemic. It should be a matter of shame Bhagwan Thadani | Mumbai weakens its fight against the virus. Those (            8   (      (    for the AAP and Kejriwal that the court said involved in the sale and purchase of illegal
#  
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he “thawing process” in Indo-Pak relations which appeared to have begun in TFebruary-end with the sudden announce- '(!) 0,4 ment by the Director Generals of Military                ( Operations (DGMOs) of both nations of a cease-  ,                fire on the Line of Control (LoC) and the desire # to implement in letter and spirit the 2003     #       ( Ceasefire Agreement, came to an equally sud-     4          den end early this month. It happened when 3   S            Prime Minister Imran Khan’s beloved Pakistan                enacted a comedy of errors which many refer      B          to as a “flip-flop” or “Khan’s U-turn.” The state-                 ments emanating from Pakistan in the month      4              of March, especially during the stage-managed           )S        Islamabad Security Dialogue, raised a ray of hope of some improvement in the extremely bitter                     ( relations between the two countries, that were           C      adversely affecting not only bilateral ties but the                entire South Asian region as well. 5 (         3 S     The trigger for all this was provided by the                worsening economy of Pakistan which many    #             economists said was “on the verge of collapse.” It emerged from the Islamabad Security Dialogue that the neighbouring nation had realised the mistake it made in investing heav- ily in geopolitics at the cost of geoeconomics. :,-:,-<+:< It also realised that it was paying a heavy price .: :,!$0, private sector.” He also announced abrogation of Article 370 is because it needs some breathing for its unilateral decision to suspend all trade (09'+0,0:< that the ban on the import of raw repealed.” space and time to rejuvenate the with India post the events of August 5, 2019 in :;-.0>- '9-0, cotton from India would be lifted The whole episode is termed morale of its army which has been relation to Kashmir, which has been a bone of :+<'$.N0+: “by the end of June.” “There is a as a comedy of errors because badly battered by the Indian Army contention between the two neighbours for long ,:.- large demand for cotton in Imran Khan, during the Cabinet on the LoC. and has been termed as it’s “jugular vein” by a (<:(:+-+.' Pakistan right now. Our exports meeting, flayed the Finance The dwindling economy and belligerent Pakistan. <:!-:(: ''$+ have increased in textiles and the Minister and asked Azhar who the burden of repayment of loans It is a well-known fact that anti-India sen- :!-:-$:,:'$+ cotton crop was not good last year. authorised him to resume trade is also adversely affecting the timents form the bedrock of Pakistan’s internal 0((-0<+-<- = So, we allowed imports of cotton with India? The beleaguered army’s upgradation and moderni- policy and geopolitics. This sentiment has time :;- :1 from all over the world, but it is Finance Minister had no option sation programme. This explains     #        and again been exploited to its advantage by the .',9',!'.:1 not allowed from India and that but to name Imran Khan himself. the army chief’s keenness for a             *    political and military leadership in Pakistan to causes a direct impact on (small The “U-turn Khan” lost no time in shift towards geoeconomics, which come out of various adversities faced by the ->: >',!0 and medium enterprises),” he said. toeing the line of the hardliners in seems to be more out of compul-  S     (           country. “It grows and diminishes with the $:,+-,+1+' Another contributory factor was the Cabinet led by Foreign sion rather than conviction. But               requirements of Pakistan’s foreign policy,” says :1 ,-- the ban on Chinese Xinjiang cot- Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, certainly, he failed to change the               3 ( Khurram Husain, a Pakistani business journal- +-<':1+ ton and products made thereof by who felt short-changed for not mindset of hardliners in the                   ist. This India-bashing may have benefitted !<:1,:<9: the United States (US) and being consulted by the Prime Pakistan Army or he has lost his          3        Rawalpindi, that dictates the nation’s India pol- <1$'=',: European Union (EU) nations, Minister before allowing such an clout since he is on extension, a          9         S icy rather than Islamabad, but definitely made <-0 '=' which are a major source for the important measure. Pressure from decision that has not gone down (09'+0,<-0'-+           )        ( no economic sense. local industry. China, which naturally was peev- well with the other ambitious Hence it was music to the ears when at the :0 9.-0 9 Year-on-year, the price of sugar ed due to the ban on its cotton, is Generals.                  Islamabad Dialogue, Pakistan’s Army chief ':1 09- has risen by more than 17 per cent, also believed to be another The sum total of the U-turn by                : General Qamar Bajwa talked of a shift in (<1-, causing great resentment against causative factor. Khan is that Pakistan is not yet #     PQ #         Pakistan’s strategy from geopolitics to geoeco- -$:,:'$+-,+- the Imran Khan Government. In the end Azhar was removed grown up enough to give up its          P )    :Q @  nomics. It received support from Imran Khan : -.- The announcement was made from the office of Finance Minister belief of India being an existential                  ( who talked of making Pakistan a gateway to the N.0',! by Azhar in his capacity as the in mid-April, less than a month threat. One wonders for how long               ( Central Asian republic nations’ economy and (<:$-++O head of the Economic after his appointment and replaced can Pakistan afford to behave like   #                   also act as a bridge between the South Asian and $:,',1-0,,: Coordination Committee which by ex-Pakistan Peoples Party an ostrich? As of now, the pro- Central Asian economies. Realising that his .: '.:+0!- earlier had given a green signal to Minister Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed posed shift from geopolitics to @     S          ( nation’s economy was in the doldrums it made the proposal. Though there was no Tarin who was also given the addi- geoeconomics appears merely to    :0+',! - (:', better economic sense to Khan to buy goods 0!-,0 official response from the Indian tional portfolio of revenue. The be loud thinking without evolving     )       S urgently needed by his country from where they side, for those following the “thaw- flip-flop and the removal of the a consensus. It would need serious      S     C were available at cheaper rates. Hence, the Prime ing process” of the hostilities Finance Minister clearly indicates groundwork to fructify into real-        ,           Minister wearing the hat of the nation’s between the two neighbours, it was that Imran Khan hardly wields any ity. Till Pakistan readies to walk the      #  "         Commerce and Finance Minister as well, signed a welcome decision. power and is incapable of ensur- talk, it would make prudent eco-              ,   on a note to purchase cotton and sugar from However in a classic case of the ing unanimity even within his nomic sense to let the “thawing India, thus setting in motion a reversal of his ear- “left hand not knowing what the Cabinet, let alone a national con- process” continue and not hold it                lier decision not to trade with us. The writer is a right hand is doing,” the sensus. hostage to a single-point agenda. S       9       ( Hence, Pakistan’s newly-appointed Finance Jammu-based veteran, announcement was followed by Even more surprising is the The recent trade U-turn by       @            Minister Hammad Azhar announced in political commentator, the unfortunate Cabinet decision audacity of the hardliners to take Pakistan clearly demonstrates how columnist, security and     3               Islamabad, “In our neighbouring country, in strategic analyst. The of deferring the trade and holding on the Army chief, a rarity in geopolitical considerations —           S       India, the price of sugar is much lower than in views expressed it hostage to oft-repeated insis- Pakistani politics. Pakistan Army rather than economic considera-            S       ( Pakistan. So we have decided to open sugar trade are personal. tence by Pakistan of “no improve- is very keen for the thaw in rela- tions or rational thinking — drive                 ( with India, to the limit of 5,00,000 tonnes in the ment in Indo-Pak relations till tions between the two neighbours policymaking in Pakistan.                        B                POINTCOUNTERPOINT     D          S           S            ! !          # 1           %           (  #          (* #  ! ##1   $                    E  1  !     E   1 ,                                    L      L  <         8 !   #8  =                                        

he oil age was triggered ditional energy sources such tainable renewable energy significance. As a first step cobalt and vanadium have but will also foreclose any by the invention of as fossil fuels. Perhaps the regime. towards gaining self-reliance electrical and magnetic prop- Chinese strategy to monop- Tkerosene in 1846 and biggest energy rush after the However, seeing the cur- in the renewable energy sec- erties that can help store olise the global market in rare got further consolidated with great oil boom is the haste to rent state, India seems to be tor, India must concentrate on wind, hydel and solar energy. earth elements. Furthermore, the development of the oil build renewable energy everything but self-reliant in securing control over essen- These elements are available India must also invest in drilling process in 1859. Both capacity and to harness crit- the renewable energy sector. tial components and critical across the world only in some state-of-the-art research that these events accelerated the ical minerals required to In 2019-20, India imported minerals required for manu- geographical pockets and can focus on reducing depen-  use of oil which, in turn, #!4+48 manufacture rechargeable about 8,500 crore worth of facturing batteries on a colos- India must have continued dence over rare earth ele- fueled global economic pros- batteries in large scale. Lithium (Li)-ion batteries. It sal scale. availability of these elements ments such as cobalt on perity. The period from the This is understandable was the same in 2018-19, Worryingly, China has for transiting to a green econ- whose availability China is end of the second World War given the fact that India aims which saw a six-fold rise as already developed enviable omy. developing a stranglehold. to the early 1970s saw an to generate 40 per cent of its compared to 2014-15. hegemony over the 17 rare In order to counter the The coming years will uninterrupted oil boom as the energy needs from renewable India’s dependence on earth elements that play a piv- growing Chinese dominance witness a considerable shift rising oil output matched an sources by 2030 and aspires to global resources, especially otal role in the making of over rare earth elements, from oil to rare earth miner- ever-increasing oil consump- become a country with 30-40 Chinese inputs, to feed its rechargeable batteries. India must step up its cross- als. This will mark a new tion globally. per cent electric vehicles renewable energy ambitions According to a 2019 working national collaborations and chapter in global geopolitics. But as the oil-fed (EVs). India’s overdepen- is flawed to say the least. Our paper of the Organisation quickly secure the mines In the past, developed economies started to see the dence on fossil fuel left the energy transition cannot take for Economic Co-operation through investment and co- economies built their pros- collateral damage unleashed nation at the whims of the place by simply importing the who wield a considerable and Development (OECD), ownership, so that the raw perity by riding on the fossil by fossil fuels in the form of Organisation of the necessary products. clout in the global market of eight of the 14 large cobalt material for energising the fuel boom. This is true even climate change, the popular- Petroleum Exporting The recent tension with renewable energy raw mate- mining firms in Congo are country’s future is safe. today. India, too, must devel- ity of oil started to wane Countries (OPEC) in terms of China and the subsequent rial. now Chinese-owned. Similarly, aggressive and eco- op the ability to independent- post the 1970s. This also her- production and prices for a constraints in sourcing the As India is transiting Significantly, they account friendly rare earth element ly transit to green energy by alded the advent of renewable The writer is an very long time. renewable energy products from a fossil fuel-economy to for half of Congo’s cobalt prospecting must be taken up harnessing the potential of energy. environmental journalist. But this scenario can and raw material have shown an electro one, the local pro- output. to discover new mines in rare earth materials. This will Today, renewable energy The views expressed change by having control how India’s dependence on duction of renewable energy Some of the elements India and elsewhere. usher in a green economy is steadily gaining momen- are personal. over the critical raw materi- the OPEC is now merely components, especially bat- such as neodymium, molyb- This will not only de-risk that is prosperous as well as tum and preference over tra- als needed for building a sus- shifting to Chinese suppliers teries, assumes unparalleled denum, titanium, lithium, the raw material supply chain good for the planet.  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)-  '9

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# 43  !     :*8 D    " !R    9 !   Q R       !   0+.',!:, COVID-19 cases. glad that the White House is at home & abroad,” Menendez In response, the United providing these life-saving vac- tweeted. he US is rushing a whole States is providing a range of cines, but we will need a strong, Indian-American Tseries of help, including emergency assistance, includ- coordinated global response Congressman Raja life-saving drugs and machin- ing oxygen-related supplies, in the days ahead,” Krishnamoorthi said he was ery, that India needs to combat vaccine materials, and thera- Congresswoman Carolyn pleased the US will be sending the massive surge in Covid-19 peutics. Boudreaux said. its AstraZeneca supply to India cases, President Joe Biden has Biden and Modi resolved Congressman Michael and other countries in need of said, as he again recalled New that the United States and Waltz Press said India was an it as he had urged earlier. Delhi’s assistance to America India will continue to stand essential ally in America’s glob- Senators Mark Warner and when it was in a “bind” due to shoulder-to-shoulder in the al competition with China. John Cornyn, co-chairs of the the pandemic. effort to protect our citizens “Its strength is important to Senate India Caucus, in a let- Biden spoke at length with and the health of our commu- stability in Asia and the United ter to Biden, said they were Prime Minister Narendra Modi nities, the White House said in States. We must do what we can watching with growing alarm  !  
( 8* 8**3 (    ' on Monday and conveyed sol- a readout of the telephonic con- to help them curb their new the unprecedented surge of 9   idarity with India in its fight versation between Biden and wave of Covid cases,” he added. COVID-19 cases, hospitalisa- against the viral disease. of the Democratic Party, for not On Sunday Biden had Modi. Congressman Bill Foster tions, and deaths, which have  1;0' The Navy said the Cyclone- “We are sending immedi- releasing surplus COVID-19 tweeted that “Just as India sent Meanwhile, American law- said while America continues overwhelmed hospitals and class patrol ship USS Firebolt ately a whole series of help that vaccines to India when the assistance to the United States makers applauded Biden for all to make progress in battling the overall health system in n American warship fired fired the warning shots after he needs, including providing country is experiencing its as our hospitals were strained the help he was extending to this pandemic, the critical sit- India. Awarning shots when vessels three fast-attack Guard vessels for those Remdesivir and other worst-ever public health crisis. early in the pandemic, we are save the lives of people suffer- uation in India can’t be ignored. The pandemic has devas- of Iran’s paramilitary came within 68 yards (62 drugs that are able to deal with “The problem is right now, determined to help India in its ing from COVID-19 and urged Several other American law- tated populations and nations Revolutionary Guard came too meters) of it and the U.S. Coast this,” Biden told reporters at a we have to make sure we have time of need.” him to do more. makers have also come out in across the globe, making it very close to a patrol in the Persian Guard patrol boat USCGC White House news conference other vaccines like Novavax On Monday, Biden assured “The US maintains a moral support of India as its people clear that the virus knows no Gulf, the US Navy said on Baranoff. on Tuesday. and others coming on proba- Modi that the United States and obligation to assist our ally battle one of the gravest chal- borders. To control its spread Wednesday. It was the first such “We are sending the actu- bly, and I think we will be in a India will work closely togeth- India as they face severe chal- lenges to its public health sys- globally, saving lives abroad shooting in nearly four years. al mechanical parts that are position to be able to share vac- er in the fight against COVID- lenges posed by COVID-19. tem. Senator Robert and here at home, the US must The Navy released black- ' ,+
needed for the machinery they cines as well as know-how 19. We must take every necessary Menendez, Chairman of the do its part to attack the virus and-white footage of the have to build a vaccine, and with other countries who are in India is currently strug- step to ensure the Indian peo- Senate Foreign Relations where it is most devastating encounter Monday night in  
 1 that is being done as well,” he real need,” Biden said. gling with a second wave of the ple receive the aid and assis- Committee, too came out in and active, they wrote in the international waters of the said. “I might add when we pandemic with more than tance they need to emerge support of India. letter dated April 27. northern reaches of the Persian 

  1 The president said he had were in a bind in the very 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus from this crisis,” Congressman “Pursuing vaccine equity “We write to urge you to Gulf near Kuwait, Iran, Iraq discussed with Prime Minister beginning, India helped us,” cases being reported in the past Brad Sherman, a senior mem- doesn’t just advance our eco- accelerate US efforts to support and Saudi Arabia. In it, lights
  

 Modi when the US would be Biden said, referring to India, few days, and hospitals are ber of the House Foreign nomic and health security – it’s other countries as they work to can be seen in the distance and able to send actual vaccines to the largest producer of hydrox- reeling under a shortage of Affairs Committee, said on a moral imperative. As a bas- combat the COVID-19 virus,” what appears to be a single  0+.',!:, India. ychloroquine, lifting the ban on medical oxygen and beds. Tuesday. tion of innovation & champi- it said. gunshot can be heard, with a The Biden administration the export of the medicine to Biden pledged America’s “My heart goes out to the on for marginalized people Over the weekend, the two tracer round racing across the en years after they found has come under criticism from the US after then President steadfast support for the peo- people of India and neigh- everywhere, the US must lead jointly made a call to the White top of the water. Tand killed Osama bin several quarters, including Donald Trump spoke to Modi ple of India who have been bouring nations as they fight an efforts to guarantee immu- House, urging it to consider Iran did not immediately Laden, US Navy SEALs are from members and supporters on phone last year. impacted by the recent surge in uphill battle with COVID. I’m nization access to EVERYONE sending urgent help to India. acknowledge the incident. undergoing a major transition to improve leadership and expand their commando capabilities to better battle ? B   ! " )54!" 
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, , ,$# & Himpacted across major 2,958 crore). Athe Indian economy is pro- cases is worrying, especially if  1;0' days. Allegations of under- cities during the April-June "Latest government data jected to grow at 11 per cent in vaccine rollout faulters or fails reporting by some states are quarter because of the rapid already indicate a drop in prop- the current financial year on to contain it." he ongoing second wave also rampant, and the coun-   $.-,,0' raw material. Further the spread of the coronavirus dis- erty registrations in April 2021 the back of the strong vacci- Another risk is the further Tof Covid-19 will dampen try has had to depend on increase in raw material ease, property consultant over March 2021 amidst 2nd nation programme, but cau- tightening of global financial the pace of recovery for cor- major world powers for help. ith Covid-19 related prices have hit the units Anarock on Wednesday said. COVID-19 wave and no stamp tioned that second wave of conditions, which would apply porate India and the contact- The rating agency said it Wlockdown in different hard," Tamil Nadu Small and Already, property registra- duty cuts," Anarock pointed Covid is worrying. pressure on India's market intensive sectors will be hit the expects only 4 per cent of its parts of the country affecting Tiny Industries Association tions in Mumbai, a key market out. "India's economy is interest rates and therefore most, a domestic rating rated portfolio to be severely production and sales, micro (TANSTIA) President S. in Maharashtra and the coun- The second COVID-19 expected to grow 11 per cent in affect economic normalisation, agency said on Wednesday. impacted as a result of the sec- and small scale units are Anburajan told IANS. try, have dropped due to the wave coupled with the expiry fiscal year (FY) 2021, which the report added. However, the impact of ond wave as against 17 per pleading for interest waiver, He said many units sup- second wave of Covid-19 pan- of the stamp duty cut period ends on March 31, 2022, amid Going further, ADB fore- the second wave on many sec- cent in the first wave last year. moratorium and lending ply the products to public demic and restrictions to curb will impact the monthly a strong vaccine drive. casts India's economic growth tors is set to be lower than the “With the fresh uncer- against credit guarantees. sector units (PSU) and gov- the disease, it added. growth momentum of However, the recent surge in to moderate to 7 per cent in first because the lockdowns tainties wrought by the sec- An official of a public ernment utilities and are Quoting data by Inspector Mumbai's housing sector, the Covid-19 cases may put this FY2022, on account of disap- are less widespread and strin- ond wave of the pandemic, sector bank preferring penalised for delayed sup- General of Registration (IGR), consultant said. recovery at risk," said the Asian pearance of base effect. gent as of now as against the and the likelihood of addi- anonymity told IANS that if plies. Maharashtra, Anarock said the During the period of stamp Development Outlook (ADO) The economy is expected strong nationwide lockdown tional support measures being the government does not "We would like the PSUs stamp duty cut period between duty cut, there was consistent 2021. to have contracted by 8 per cent last year which brought all limited, the credit ratio is come out with a package, not to penalise their small September 2020 to March 2021 month-on-month growth in Continued economic in FY2020, in line with the gov- economic activities to a grind- now likely to stall. The pace of then the non-performing sized vendors for delay in saw as many as 80,718 proper- sales. Prashant Thakur, recovery boosted by increased ernment's second advance esti- ing halt, Icra said. recovery would undoubtedly assets (NPA) of the banking supplies during the pan- ties registered in Mumbai, up Director and Head – Research, public investment, domestic mate, it said. The country has been be arrested by the recent sector are set to surge ahead demic period. There should 114 per cent from the corre- Anarock, said: "Ever since the demand will trigger this strong ADB Country Director for reporting alarmingly high surge in COVID-19 infections this year. be a moratorium for loans sponding period (September expiry of the stamp duty cut rebound, ADB said. India Takeo Konishi said cases of infections at over 3 and associated localised "Already 40 per cent of and interest could be waived 2019 to March 2020). period, from 1st April onwards, The predictions are based India's economy faced its worst lakh additions and 2,000 fatal- restrictions,” its president our member units are sick for for the small units," Total revenue collected in there has been a marked drop on assumption that there is contraction in FY2020 due to ities a day, for the last few Ramnath Krishnan said. want of working capital and Anburajan added. 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Tokyo: Global shares were GAayog has said the gov- and exclusive parking for EVs TSBI said its central board in the existing legal and regulatory panel will review the existing streak for the third session on IndusInd Bank, ICICI moderately higher in listless ernment should provide incen- in commercial complexes. its meeting on Wednesday has framework applicable to ARCs, legal and regulatory frame- the trot amid robust corporate Bank, Kotak Bank, SBI, Bajaj trading Wednesday, as tives on electric vehicle (EV) The Aayog also recom- approved raising up to USD 2 on Wednesday invited views work applicable to ARCs and results. Auto, HDFC Bank and HDFC investors watched for news out purchase over and above the mended providing interest sub- billion (around Rs 14,880 and suggestions from stake- recommend measures to A strengthening rupee were among the other promi- of a Federal Reserve meeting. existing subsidy under the vention on loan taken for EV crore) through bonds this fis- holders. improve efficacy of ARCs. and short covering ahead of nent winners, climbing as France's CAC 40 gained Faster Adoption and purchase. cal. The suggestions could be It will also review the role F&O expiry also fuelled the much as 5.08 per cent. 0.3% in early trading to Manufacturing of Hybrid and It also said green zones The Executive Committee given to the committee till of ARCs in resolution of rally, traders said, even as the However, Nestle India, 6,291.87, while Germany's EV (FAME-II) scheme. should be demarcated within of the Central Board in its May 31, 2021. stressed assets including under Covid-19 situation remained HCL Tech, L&T, TCS, Dr DAX edged up 0.2% to The Niti Aayog in its sta- cities that permit only EVs, and meeting on April, 28, 2021 has On April 19, RBI had set Insolvency and Bankruptcy an overhang. Reddy's and ITC closed with 15,279.81. Britain's FTSE 100 tus quo analysis of electric heavy taxes should be charged approved long term fund rais- up a committee to undertake Code (IBC), and give sugges- The 30-share BSE Sensex losses of up to 0.96 per cent. rose 0.2% to 6,961.41. The mobility in India also said the on conventional fuel vehicles. ing in single / multiple tranch- a comprehensive review of tions for improving liquidity in surged 789.70 points or 1.61 "Continued rebound in future for the Dow industrials government should include "Green corridors should es up to USD 2 billion, SBI said the working of asset recon- and trading of security per cent to finish at 49,733.84. financials aided benchmark slipped 0.1% to 33,834, and EVs and associated businesses be earmarked on which only e- in a regulatory filing. struction companies (ARCs) receipts. Similarly, the broader NSE indices to defy concerns of ris- S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% in the priority sector lending buses are provided permit to The funds are to be raised in the financial sector ecosys- Besides, it has also been Nifty surged 211.50 points or ing COVID-19 cases. A visible to 4,182.12. category. operate," the Aayog said through a public offer and /or tem and recommend suitable asked to review business mod- 1.44 per cent to 14,864.55. contraction in daily caseload in Japan's Nikkei 225 added "The government should adding that a national-level private placement of senior measures for enabling them to els of the ARCs. Bajaj Finance was the star Maharashtra and Mumbai 0.2% to finish at 29,053.97, give EV purchase subsidy over policy should be formulated unsecured notes in US Dollar meet the growing require- The panel is scheduled to performer in the Sensex pack, offered comfort to market. while South Korea's Kospi and above FAME-II subsidy for incentivising distribution or any other convertible cur- ments. submit its report within three surging 8.32 per cent, a day Further, short covering ahead slipped 1.1% to 3,181.47. along with interest subvention utilities on investing in devel- rency during FY 2021 -22, SBI The central bank had con- months from the date of its first after it posted a 42 per cent of F&O expiry also contributed Australia's S&P/ASX 200 on loan amount taken for EV opment of EV charging infra- said. stituted the Committee under meeting. increase in consolidated net to the rally. added 0.4% to 7,064.70. AP purchase," the Aayog said. structure. F: #   &#  "   
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  #   quotas, U.K. Prime minister uropean Union leaders, Boris Johnson said the vote   ,-- .' QB7J Etheir British counterparts marked the “final step in a long and European businesses journey, providing stability to uel prices in the country  ,-- .' expressed hope Wednesday our new relationship with the Fremained unchanged on that the final ratification of the EU as vital trading partners, Wednesday as oil marketing he Centre on Wednesday post-Brexit trade deal will open close allies and sovereign companies decided to wait for Tsaid it has so far received a new, positive era of cooper- equals." state elections to get over before 8,665 applications seeking sub- ation despite the many divisive European Commission restarting daily revision of sidised loan worth 8,216 crore topics remaining between the president Ursula von der Leyen petrol and diesel prices in line under the Agriculture former partners. said the accord's “faithful with price movement globally. Infrastructure Fund (AIF) After European lawmakers implementation is essential" Sources indicated that price scheme launched to augment overwhelmingly ratified the while EU Council chief Charles revisions may begin early next post-harvest infrastructure in agreement ensuringthat free Michel welcomed the begin- month after results to state elec- the country. trade continues between the ning of a “new era." tions are declared. However, Under the AIF scheme, whether price of petrol and implemented in 2020-21 for ten diesel would move up or down years, about 1 lakh crore will would depend on average glob- be provided by banks and al price in the last fortnight of financial institutions as loans March.With no price change with interest subvention of 3 on Wednesday, pump price of per cent per annum and cred- petrol and diesel remained at it guarantee coverage under 90.40 a litre and 80.73 a litre CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee respectively in Delhi. This is the Fund Trust for Micro and 14th consecutive day when Small Enterprises) for loans up fuel prices have not been to 3 crore. revised. The price of the two "Agriculture Infrastructure auto fuels had fallen by 16 paisa Fund has crossed the  8,000 and 14 paisa per litre respec- crore mark, after receiving tively on April 15 after a 15 day 8,665 applications worth 8,216 break when OMCs kept its crore," the Agriculture Ministry prices static. Thereafter revision said in a statement. Out of fuel prices have been halted. of this, over  4,000 crore has Across the country as well been sanctioned so far, it said. the petrol and diesel prices Maximum applications have remained unchanged on been received from Primary Wednesday but its retail levels Agricultural Credit Societies varied depending on the level (PACS) followed by agri-entre- of local levies on respective preneurs and individual farm- states. ers, it said. 7  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)- . ..  /  +    +   /  1       2   L4 5 ;  66   6

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eing healthy is in fashion. During the last one year we have seen a huge rise Bin people undertaking some form of physical exercise as a part of their routine to stay fit, irrespective of whether the activ- ities are indoors or outdoors. Though the sporting institutions, clubs and stadiums are shut now due to the second wave of the *!  virus, we are hopeful that this calamity will not last long and people will be able to enjoy sporting events in open air. Sporting mats, as a category of infra-   -   %  (! % structure, play a vital role for any sports enthusiast or a novice. Having good qual- here was an era when people used to ity mat is extremely important to help Tbe all dressed when they had to get maintain balance during exercise and their picture clicked at the photograph help them in getting the right posture. store. While today is the era when we can It has been observed that the percent- create a whole new album every day with age of people getting injured due to the the pictures captured from the lens of non-availability of professional mats and phones. Considering this, every other equipment is quite high and some of these person is a proud photoholic. If you are injuries are either life-threatening or can also one of them then here is a list by led to physical disability. A professional mat Shivam Soni, Founder and CEO, cushions the body to prevent aches and Beyoung Folks Private Limited, of cloth- pain, as well as fatal injuries while perform- ing you must keep in mind before shop- ing any sports. To prevent such fatalities ping. one must buy a fitness mat best suited for the workout and these tips will help to      J choose a mat. Well, it's not just clothes, it's your choice for an occasion. It is a part of how MATERIAL USED IN THE MAT you make your day special as the more The material of the mat determines the comfortable you are, the more you want quality of the mat. A good mat doesn't lose to slay in front of the world. So, grab     J its grip even if the mat is wet. This is due trendy clothes like graphic t-shirts or Whoof! Some want to keep their love to the high quality of Ethylene Vinyl checkered shirts and show how you are story to themselves while some want to Acetate (EVA) used while making the mat. spending your day. show how madly they are in love. So yes, The grade of the material used to manufac- Click a snap in the newly launched while going out to shop you may buy ture the mat will determine the stickiness, Polo T-shirts and show your sporty yourselves same colour outfits, identical sponginess and the level of anti-skid prop- spirit. Click yourself in the boxers and phone covers or also opt for love bands. erties the mat will possess. Unlike other mats show how you are spending your home These little props do huge wonders to available in the market, the mats made out quarantine, or simply get clicked in your pictures. If none of these fits, you of good grade of EVA (grade is something pajamas to underline your work from can always opt for couple t-shirts with which defines the pureness of the materi- home routine. symbols of love and laughter. Certain al ) are totally recyclable, thus creating a pos- brands have a collection solely devoted itive impact on our environment. After all         to those devoted couples. Their range for we must be active and also consciously think  J love birds are something that a couple about mother nature. Today a phone is not just an ameni- must show off. ty but a source of showing your interest. THICKNESS AND DURABILITY CHOOSE THE SIZE ACCORDING TO suitable for a home gym. If your joints get hygiene parameters maintained proper- Brands have thus instigated numerous  #       J It has been stated that the yoga mats that THE BODY TYPE sore easily, then use a thicker mat. Consider ly. phone covers for almost every popular Is Instagram reels your favorite fea- are thicker last longer than thin mats. Selecting the right size of a yoga mat non-slip mats if you do rigorous form of When the thickness and size that brand these days. You can pick chic, cool, ture these days? Then you should never Thickness is usually measured in millime- depends on two factors: First, how tall you yoga. works best for you, you could consider sophisticated and sweet mobile covers be short of ideas for making every reel tres or mm. If a mat is too thin, certain poses are and how much padding you want. The Fitness mats come in different shapes the added uses some exercise mats come and go ahead with a mirror selfie. The different and unique from one another. can be hard on your knees and joints. Thick standard size of the yoga mat is 6X2 feet. and sizes to suit different types of work- with, like handles for easy carrying or a cover will not just be about your phones For this, you may look out for different mats are mostly preferred when looking for But if you have broad shoulders, then you out, like yoga mats, gym mats, profession- non-skid texture to help you from slip- protection but will also be a part of your locations, situations, dialogues and most durability and comfort. You can choose a need a wide mat of 7X2.5 feet. So, choose al mats, foam mats, multi-purpose mats, ping. You will also definitely want a mat selfie addiction. importantly different clothing for mak- mat between eight to 12 mm thicknesses, a mat according to your body type will be etc. that is moisture-resistant for easy clean- ing it a fine sight for the eye. Instead of depending upon how intensive your work- an essential prerequisite. ing, or you might like a waterproof mat        the party wear attires that were the need out is. A good durable mat has a thickness HYGIENE AND MAINTENANCE for a more gratifying workout. Happy pictures of a group together of everyday outings, these comfortable of 10 mm and more. Usually, mats that are PURPOSE OF CHOOSING A SPECIFIC A good mat is designed to have high Any form of exercise is good, and always turn out to be photogenic. To add clothes are now being the trend of the 10 mm and more in thickness are suitable MAT dirt resistance and should not absorb any when you couple it with the right sport- a little improvisation to the picture you season because of the habit of being at for all kinds of yoga and exercise. You must decide the main purpose of body moisture, ensuring continuous ing equipment the whole journey of phys- may shop for Group T-shirts as they are home (credits to the lockdown which has But if you are doing an active or bal- use before choosing an exercise mat. Do hygiene and cleanliness. A professional mat ical and mental rejuvenation becomes all about showing how much you wait- locked people in). So, shop for the ancing pose, you may go for thinner mats you plan to take your mat to the gym? Get absorbs very little sweat which maintains more rewarding. ed for this hangout and how much you clothing which will make you the star with textured surfaces to maintain a better a compact one that easily folds up. A large proper hygiene while doing any exercise — The author is director of a compa- want to live the memories by cherishing even when you are at home. grip. mat that covers more space might be more or practice. It can be easily cleaned and ny engaged in the manufacturing of mats the pictures snapped on the other day. —IANS     ,   
 Theatre is Joy’s training ground

 #: 5   3  2% lass Of '83 actor Joy CSengupta, who is just as popular in the world of films as ollywood actor Arjun Kapoor and that of theatre, says that it is the Bhis sister Anshula Kapoor’s online medium of theatre, if followed celebrity fundraising platform, properly, that teaches, trains, Fankind, has been silently working and polishes one to be a com- through the pandemic to help as many plete performer. people as possible across India. The Sengupta, who acts in plays brother-sister duo raised over 1 crore like Dance Like a Man and and has helped over 30,000 people and Ladies Sangeet by Zee Theatre, their families in need. believes that theatre is a medi- Arjun reveals, “The pandemic has um where the actor is the chief made us stare at an abyss of suffering. interpreter of the text of the play It has made us all step forward and help of life. as many people as possible in our own, “An actor creates life and unique way. Anshula and I have tried lives out the truth right in front to contribute through Fankind. I’m of the audience while they happy that we have helped about respond to him or her. The fac- 30,000 people pan India and raised 1 ulties of an actor hence have to crore to help aid those in crisis.” be at their optimum level of The actor adds, “From monthly competence. The training has to ration kits to hot meals, to cash in hand ctor Sonu Sood took to your best to the best of your capa- be near perfect, the craft has to for migrant workers, to providing AInstagram to urge more people bilities," he wrote. be polished, the technique has hygiene kits for COVID-19 prevention, to come forward and help those The actor tested Covid positive to be flawless. That is when Sengupta stated, “There is no course there are camera angles the initiative has managed to touch the who are suffering due to Covid. a while back, but was back to help- truth is lived and communicat- place to hide for an actor on and lenses which interpret an lives of many and hopefully has helped He posted a screen recording of ing people as soon as he recovered. ed and the audience goes back stage unlike in cinema where an actor's acting in a flattering them in a small way to fight the virus his phone that shows the actor has Sonu was appointed brand home with lingering questions actor can hide behind various way.” and it’s far-reaching devastating been getting messages from people ambassador of Punjab's Covid vac- and comes back to the theatre technological techniques, and a “So, cinema is a medium impact.” asking for help continuously. He cination programme by Chief again and again,” Sengupta said. performance can be enhanced where an actor, and even a Arjun says he is really happy to says he is trying to help as many Minister Amarinder Singh earlier Theatre serves the audience by various means and devices. non-actor can be helped to have lent a helping hand during this cri- people as possible. this month. Last year, during lock- by enriching their life experi- There is an editing process communicate what the director sis. He says, “I had invested my life’s “The speed at which we get down, he helped thousands of ence but the service is rendered which can take away the bad wants him or her to communi- savings for this venture and it makes requests across the country. Trying migrants reach home safely. He also primarily through the actor, he stuff, keep the good stuff and cate but in theatre when the me proud that the platform has sup- my best to reach out to everyone. provided e-rickshaws to the unem- adds. create magic. There are effects actor is on stage there is no one ported those in serious need in these  #. *  Everyone...Please come forward. ployed. Sharing his thoughts on and special effects which and nothing that can save him desperate and trying times.” We need more helping hands. Do —IANS acting on stage versus screen, enhance the image and then of or her,'' he concludes. —IANS 416 0<4 +Q0('+1 *!('#+,-*%,.  + ## "     #   ' "   ' '+'!%2!(-!!       # #      78'  "   (,.Q%!!-. "      
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 6 STELLAR PERFORMANCE *         !   #, ajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant ment can strengthen its manage- Health Minister Dr Harsh rural level also. RGehlot on Tuesday spoke to were a part of the meeting. ment accordingly and reduce the Vardhan, Railway Minister Piyush Government Secretary Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Gehlot said that the visit of the death rate effectively. He said that Goyal and Minister of State for Medical and Health, Siddharth the phone and apprised him of the three ministers, during their visit district collectors should ensure Chemicals, Mansukh Mandavia Mahajan, gave information about BY INDIAN ARCHERS serious situation of Covid-19 in the to Delhi, conveyed the ground uninterrupted supply of resources along with Secretaries of con- the supply of oxygen and Covid State. Additionally, the details of reality of the spread to the Central by intensively monitoring hospi- cerned departments discussed in management across the state. The ndian Archers Deepika Kumari, Atanu the during day-long meetings of Government. He said that this has tals. detail Rajasthan’s medical oxygen Secretary to Government, Local Das, Ankita Bhakat and Komalika the three cabinet ministers of the created a positive atmosphere and The Chief Minister said that quota, its transport system and Self-Government, Bhavani Singh IBari put up a stellar performance at the State with the ministers and offi- now the Central Government will the way this epidemic is taking supplies of essential medicines. Detha informed that the bodies are recently concluded Archery World Cup cials of the Central and State help in providing all the necessary frightening form and the police as They made clear and logical being respectfully cremated across (Stage-I) at Guatemala. In Women’s and Government about the current sit- resources by considering the situ- well as the administration should demands to the Union Ministers the State as per the instructions of Men’s Individual Recurve event Deepika uation were discussed and a ation of the state more seriously. strictly follow the guidelines of and officials on the requirements the government. Kumari and Atanu Das won Gold medals demand raised for the speedy This would help the state govern- ‘Public Discipline Fortnight’. Strict of the State for better treatment of Dr Rajababu Panwar, Vice in their respective categories. transportation of oxygen and an ment to better manage the efforts action should be taken for ay vio- patients. Union Home Minister Chancellor of RHUS, Dr Sudhir The Women’s Recurve Team compris- increase the supply of tankers being made to save the lives of the lation. Amit Shah also attended a meet- Bhandari, Principal of SMS ing Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat and and other essential medicines. people. Gehlot appealed for public ing and also assured help to Hospital and Dr Virendra Singh, Komalika Bari won Gold while the Indian The central authorities under- The Chief Minister said that cooperation to stop the spread of Rajasthan keeping the grave situ- were the medical experts who Mixed Recurve team comprising of Ankita stood the requirements of the State for separate Covid and Non-covid infection. He said, that if the pub- ation in mind. expressed their views regarding the Bhakat and Atanu Das bagged the Bronze. and assured it of full supporting, hospitals should be set up in all the lic does not cooperate, it won’t be Principal Secretary of Home management of Covid and preven- NTPC is supporting Archery for all its according to Gehlot. districts including Jaipur to ensure easy to break this chain irrespec- Affairs Abhay Kumar said that tion of infection. National and International Tournaments, The Chief Minister reviewed timely management of all the tive of the resources the state gov- after the implementation of ‘Public The Minister of State for as a part of its CSR, by partnering with the covid situation in a three-hour resources including oxygen. He ernment gathers and manages. He Discipline Fortnight’ strictly, the Medicine Dr Subhash Garg, Chief Archery Association of India (AAI). meeting through video conference directed that adequate arrange- said that, in this time of crisis, peo- number of positive cases in 23 dis- Secretary Niranjan Arya, ADG Through this partnership, NTPC Ltd, on Tuesday night. He said that the ments should be made for the ple should play the role of respon- tricts has come to a standstill. He Law and Order, Saurabh India’s largest integrated energy company, reason for the infection spreading availability of Remedesivir and sible citizen by keeping masks on said that if people keep themselves Srivastava, Government Secretary aims to provide platform to Indian youth fast in Rajasthan was that people Tocilizumab medicines to private and following other protocols isolated after giving their Covid Medical Education, Vaibhav to showcase their talent and elevate India’s were not maintaining discipline. hospitals so that the family mem- including social distancing, to samples, it would help to prevent Galaria, Director of Information reputation in the field of Archery. The CM added that if the people bers of the patients do not have to protect themselves and their loved the spread. and Public Relations, Purushottam With a total installed capacity of do not cooperate, the State govern- search these. ones. Director General of Police, Sharma and high officials were 65,825 MW, NTPC Group has 70 Power ment would be forced to take more Gehlot said that the increase The group of Ministers gave ML Lather said that the protocol present. Covid - 19 nodal officers stations including 26 Renewable pro- stringent steps. The Energy in the number of deaths due to the details of the day-long meetings has been constantly strengthened. employed to control the epidem- jects. The group has over 18 GW of capac- Minister, BD Kalla, Urban pandemic is a matter of great con- with Union Ministers and officials Enforcement has been increased to ic, district collectors other super- ity under construction, including 5 GW through environment-friendly energy Development Minister, Shanti cern. The district administration in Delhi and said that their visit to three times as compared to the first intendents of police and other offi- of renewable energy projects. projects at affordable prices has been the Dhariwal and Medical Minister, prepared an analytical report of all Delhi was very meaningful. Lok wave. Efforts are being made to cers also joined the video confer- Uninterrupted supply of electricity hallmark of NTPC. Dr Raghu Sharma and Additional deaths so that the state govern- Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union provide Covid Guidelines at the ence. ' )   ":" ;  2.,. = !    %$!+&!-!#,% n the occasion of the 51st
        OFoundation Day of &&!'%!(&*($+ Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd., officials and OWERGRID The initial public offer in stakeholders from across the PInfrastructure Investment reliance upon Regulation 14(4) t is said that diamonds can- country joined a live webcast to Trust (POWERGRID InvIT or of the Securities and Exchange Inot be hidden anywhere, the commemorate years of distin- PGInvIT) is issuing Units Board of In-dia (Infrastructure jeweler’s connoisseur cannot guished service to the nation. aggregating up to 49,934.84 Investment Trusts) regulations, hide from the eyes and this Durga Shanker Mishra, sec- million (Fresh Issue) and the 2014, as amended (the “InvIT holds true for Sugandha Jain, retary, Ministry of Housing Selling Unitholder is offering Regulations”). a resident of Samta Colony in and Urban Affairs, the Chief up to such number of Units The net proceeds from the Raipur, who monitored the Guest, addressed the officials aggregating up to 27,415.08 offer will be utilised towards United Kingdom’s University and appreciated HUDCO’s stu- million in the offer. the following objects: (i) pro- of Oxford by Monroe E-Price pendous contributions towards The bid/offer opens on viding loans to the Initial Media Law Moot. She was nation building. He urged April 29, and closes on May 3. Portfolio Assets for repayment elected to the Judge of the HUDCO to redefine the hous- exhorted HUDCO to scale HUDCO congratulated the The anchor investor bidding or pre-payment of debt, includ- Court of Competition. The ing and urban development greater and newer heights by employees for their commit- date shall be one working day ing any accrued interest, final international round-up of sector by innovatively address- seeking a bold new path and ment and dedication to prior to the bid/offer opening availed by the Initial Portfolio the 14th Monroe E-Price ing the emerging needs of the reorienting its business plans to HUDCO’s business model of date i.e. April 28. Assets; and (ii) for general Media Law Moot Court Ashram and more are part- She has been a judge twice habitat sector. Mishra stressed respond to the dynamic sectoral ‘profitability with social justice’, The price band for the purposes. Competition was held online ners. Several dignitaries from in the online moot court com- the need to plan and design for requirements. Further, Mishra in a very tough and challenging offer is from 99 to 100 per The lead managers to the at the University of Oxford, a variety of fields are a part of petition by Asian Law College a new urban India that is capa- emphasised the urgency of get- year. unit. Offer are ICICI Securities UK from April 12 to 16 by the this fellowship. The Noida. The competitions were ble of addressing the challenges ting vaccinated and reiterated M Nagaraj, director (corpo- The bids can be made for Limited, Axis Capital Limited, Bonvaro Institute of Human Valedictory program of this held in July and August last thrown up by the COVID-19 the responsibility of each per- rate planning) welcomed the a minimum of 1,100 Units Edelweiss Financial Services Rights. In this international fellowship is held in June. year besides attending a pro- pandemic and meeting the son to follow all covid protocols. participants and D Guhan, and in multiples of 1,100 Units Limited and HSBC Securities competition teams from all Sugandha studied law gramme on Child Sexual housing needs of people across Kamran Rizvi, chairman director (finance) proposed the thereafter by Bidders other and Capital Markets (India) over the world (France, from Nagpur in 2016 after Abuse by Chetna Sanstha all sections of society. He and managing director, vote of thanks. than Anchor Investors. Private Limited. Germany, Europe, London, a completing her LLM in Noida. team of 150 colleges from Criminology. Due to her She was present as an Malaysia and other countries) strong desire to take honorable member in the participated. During the first Chhattisgarh to new heights, induction program (Guidance KIIT FIRST INDIAN VARSITY TO GET FIVE STARS IN QS STAR RATINGS Eye competition, Sugandha she moved to Delhi, practicing of Innovative Students) organ- Jain shared the dais as a judge PGDM in International ised by Kalinga University with distinguished scholars Humanitarian and Refugee Raipur and she gave students IIT deemed to be University has gories, ensuring the overall rating of Five cises have given a boost to the internation- including Professor Richard Law, International Law and information about the possi- Kbecome the first Indian university to Stars. al standing of KIIT Deemed to be Danbury and Francesa Fanuki Diplomacy. bilities in the field, addressed achieve the “Five Stars Rating” from the The QS Intelligence Unit also compiles University, which has also been accorded from the Cambridge Despite coming from a questions and gave them guid- prestigious QS Star Ratings System. The the coveted QS World University the Institution of Eminence tag by the University Research Associate. business family, Sugandha ance. She is also a member of rating results were published on April 27. Rankings. However, the QS Star rating sys- Govt. of India. KIIT is also the winner of Sugandha is an empan- chose law to bring awareness. the State Child Welfare. She The QS Intelligence Unit, a division of QS tem evaluates universities across a wider ‘Awards Asia 2020’ in the category elled leader at the Kailash She got an opportunity to organised sports such as Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, rated KIIT as range of important performance indica- ‘Workplace of the Year’ by the Times Satyarthi Foundation, the work with the National kabaddi, kho-kho, chair race, a Five Stars institution, the maximum tors as set against pre-established interna- Higher Education. leader of the Bachpan Bachao Children’s Commission She lemon race, rope jump and achievable, after rigorous and independent tional standards. By covering a broader Expressing happiness at the achieve- Andolan, which had received was included in the Supreme more in 2016 in the Saraswati data collection and analysis of perfor- range of criteria than any world ranking ment, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder, the Nobel Prize. Court Bar Election Shishu Mandir at Mathpuraina mance metrics in a range of indicators exercise, the system shines a light on both KIIT & KISS said, “KIIT has been rated Sugandha completed the Monitoring Team in 2018 (Raipur) with approximately across eight categories. The rating will be the excellence and the diversity of the rated as a Five Stars Institution on the basis of Kalinga Fellowship from the where she understood the 500 students. valid for three years. Employability, Academic Development, institution. its excellence and diversity by the QS Stars Kalinga University of Social apex court’s electoral system She is currently practicing Every year the rating exercise evalu- Internationalization, Online Learning, Last week, KIIT had achieved a rank rating system operated by the QS Sciences (KISS) on April 13 in under the leadership of senior in all courts of Delhi with ated higher education institutions from all Innovation, Inclusiveness and Computer of 201+ globally in the Times Higher Intelligence Unit, the independent com- which institutions like IBM advocate Shekhar Nafde. She being and giving free coach- over the world against pre-established Science & Engineering, a specialist crite- Education Impact Rankings 2021. Back to piler of the QS World University Rankings Bridge Institute, IJM, also gave suggestions to the ing to the children of global benchmarks of excellence across ria. KIIT scored perfect five in four cate- back impressive positions in two leading since 2004. We resolve to continue to do Halotrade, Mekong Club, government in framing the Judicature in Delhi Advocates’ eight categories such as Teaching, gories and four in the remaining cate- global university ranking and rating exer- our best”. Mission Better tomorrow, Seva Consumer Amendment 2019. Council. %%(    ESIC’s steps up during pandemic surge  *(%' o deal with the resurgence of 4!'"'',%!5!'"!0",'+,+'!,+5'+,%' TCOVID-19 Pandemic Employees’ State Insurance &%*'!"%6+'(,".($0.,%'7 +   Corporation (ESIC) has under- %  4!'"'. %!% taken multiple steps to cater to  5'+0,+% 89: S Rao , chief general manager, PR, Power Finance its stakeholders as well as gen-  '%"!'0,+% :;< SCorporation has been unanimously elected as eral public. chairman, Public Relations Society of India, Delhi A total 21 ESIC Hospitals : 0,+%1'&=.,%$**".'5'+$'6' 
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 '$7 : available in the country. It has “During this hour of emer- erning body members . Hospital, Sanath Nagar : !"'$0,+%4(5'+ 8 already supplied 36,747 Metric gency, SAIL firmly stands commit- Vivek Chandra Shukla, the founder of PSU Watch, (Telangana). 9 '$0,+%1'&5,'"!(  Tonnes (MT) of Liquid Medical ted with the nation and will do was elected as the joint secretary, Rama Vijay as the Alternative arrangements Oxygen since Aug’20 as per the everything to augment the produc- treasurer. She is the former DGM (PR), REC. have been made for providing  '$0,+%1'&$5,'"!(  requirement. With increase in tion of Liquid Medical Oxygen The AGM was chaired by Chapter chairman, medical services from tie-up demand of LMO in the country, from its plants. All its plants have Naresh Kumar. During his address he presented a brief hospitals, if an ESIC hospital is emergency medical treatment per cent of its bed capacity as Further, ESIC Hospitals SAIL has enhanced its focus on been advised to maximise produc- account of the programmes and initiatives undertak- declared as a dedicated Covid- from tie-up hospital directly dedicated Covid beds for ESI are adopting all the updated increasing the production since tion of LMO and optimise dispatch en by the Society. S S Rao made a presentation of the 19 Hospital. In such cases, ESI without referral letter, in accor- IPs, beneficiaries, staff and pen- guidelines being issued by beginning of this month. In the last logistics so as to reduce turnaround chapter’s activities and praised the members’ active beneficiaries can be referred to dance with his/her entitlement. sioners. MoH&FW, Govt. of India, on six days, the company has supplied, time of oxygen tankers,” the compa- participation in the events . tie-up Hospitals for providing Covid Nodal Officers have In order to ease out the a regular basis for delivering on an average, 660 MT of LMO per ny has reaffirmed. The AGM proceedings were coordinated by G S prescribed secondary/SST con- been nominated at each ESIC hardship of ESI beneficiaries in better and prompt medical day from its plants. On April 21, the With the help of Indian Railways Bawa in his capacity as the programme director. sultation/admission/investiga- hospital for effective coordina- these difficult times, it has services. Implementation of all company has supplied 891 MT of and Ministry of Steel, SAIL has The meeting was attended by a large number of tion, during the period for tion with State/Central health allowed purchase of medicines such measures is being regu- LMO. planned to load a rake from its people who expressed their happiness and joy while which concerned ESIC hospital authorities. by beneficiaries from private larly monitored at ESIC Hqrs. Improvement interventions have Bokaro Steel Plant. This will help congratulatiing the new team and placed on record functions as a dedicated Covid- Instructions have been chemists and reimbursements through video conference with already been made to augment the greatly in bulk evacuation of LMO the good work done by the outgoing team. A vote of 19 Hospital. ESI beneficiaries issued to each ESIC hospital to will be made by ESIC subse- the hospitals across the coun- LMO supply with respect to process and faster arrival of the same at the thanks was offered by Sarvesh Tiwari which brought may also seek emergency/non- function with a minimum of 20 quently. try. and equipment. SAIL has reduced destination. the meeting to a close.  " #$%&' &($  )*+),)- +1P %&

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   A : (6%  /D .4 => quarantine protocols, the country’s play- Super Kings outsmarted Sunrisers A 99   =  (* D  @   >.9? < ers’ union chief has indicated. Hyderabad by seven wickets in an IPL     (6%  C The likes of captain Kane Williamson, match, here on Wednesday. 5       &C  
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 AA : E0&E0 England, so they’re going to have to be If Du Plessis shimmied down the 511+4>+12 (;7*) MOTION PICTURE there (India) until the round-robin finish- track to loft left-arm spinner Jagadeesha .  :,, -  (.   D/ es, or the final series,” NZ Cricket Players Suchith over long-on for a six, Gaikwad 3 ! ((.   /C Association chief executive Heath Mills would rock back and pull him over   A 
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 Cricket Board. stand why MS Dhoni has been bullish an ounce of credit can be taken away Earlier, after opting to bat, con- from 4 overs while Sam Curran (1/30) * %!   - ( B : (5 % $ He said the NZ players in the IPL are about giving the youngster every pos- from the batsmen. trasting half-centuries from Manish got the other wicket. /*5 '0: &,++ '% !'+# +$ certainly anxious after the ban on flights sible opportunity despite a dry run at By the time Rashid Khan (3/36) Pandey and skipper Warner along with Warner, who passed 10,000 T20    "" @ BE #     from India in the wake of the unprece- the start of the tournament. quickly accounted for Gaikwad after a a cameo from Kane Williamson runs during the course of his innings,  #  '(      #    #
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1? Pandya (36 runs), Krunal Pandya (29 team’s leading run-scorer (187) runs) and Kieron Pollard (65 runs), despite being inconsistent. ZOYSA BANNED FOR 6 YRS hasn’t fired in unison so far. And the likes Shivam Dube, !" +  "  , 
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43 The middle-order can pummel David Miller and Riyan Parag, would ?   "     any good attack into submission on have to support the top-order by   # #    #  "   90<0$.' “I don’t understand but any given day and Rohit would hope chipping in with much-needed con-    #      frequently it is said in press for their batting to click on Thursday tributions. akistan’s skipper Babar conferences and in the when the action shifts to the Feroz All-rounder Chris Morris (9 RIZWAN ENTERS TOP-10 PAzam on Wednesday media that I don’t have Shah Kotla ground. wickets and 48 runs) has blown ! (  @ "" <  " dismissed criticism that authority and don’t take In the bowling depart- hot and cold and will again be      7EBE'  #  BQ he was a power- independent deci- ment, pace duo of Trent Boult under pressure to deliver his         " @ # 
less captain, sions,” Babar said. (6 wickets) and Jasprit high price tag.    7E    who took dic- “I want to Bumrah (4 wickets) have been Left-arm pacer Chetan tation from make it clear exceptional, particularly at the Sakariya (7 wickets) has been DJOKOVIC WITHDRAWS head coach, once and for all death. a revelation, while the   ,
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     9   .  Misbah-ul-Haq. that I have total Leg-spinner Rahul experienced duo of  :     " #  The top ODI control and say Chahar (9 wickets) and Jaydev Unadkat (4          0<' Eden Hazard was given 24 batsman frequent- in team selec- Krunal (3 wickets) have wickets) and Mustafizur minutes off the bench against his ly faces accusations tion and other also been impressive Rahman (4 wickets) GIGGS DENIES CHARGES arim Benzema came to Real former club but he was unable to of being a captain with- matters. I handle and will again need to have been decent. The     " # < ! ## KMadrid’s rescue again on add a late twist. out authority and everything on play their parts to three left-arm pacers           Tuesday, his acrobatic volley earn- Benzema’s goal was his 71st in recently former skipper the field and I perfection. along with Morris, how-   # "   #"  ing them a 1-1 draw against an the Champions League, making Shoaib Malik in tweets decide the playing Pollard is used as ever, need to be consistent. #      
 impressive Chelsea side in the first him the joint-fourth top scorer in inferred that Babar was eleven with the man- the fifth or the sixth Leg-spinner Rahul   # 
   leg of the Champions League the competition’s history with not taking independent agement giving their

bowler even as Tewatia has got just one  semi-final. Raul, behind only Cristiano decisions. input. I know what my Hardik plays solely wicket from five games, MARSCH TO COACH LEIPZIG Christian Pulisic grabbed Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Some other former responsibilities are as as a batsman. while Shreyas Gopal, ( !  +#@ 0"   / Chelsea a deserved away goal in Lewandowski. captains and players captain,” he said. Mumbai, however, another leggie, has gone    #  "    /  a soaking wet contest at “We should have won the first have also advised Babar also made it might play Adam wicket-less in the two * ,#  "  <;  #! " "   Valdebebas but they might regret half,” said Chelsea coach Thomas Babar to be more clear he had no issues Milne in place of games he has played. %       not pulling away, with the strug- Tuchel. “We should have scored authoritative as cap- with the head coach and Jayant Yadav. Tewatia’s role  gling Timo Werner again missing at least one more.” tain. whether Pakistan need- Rajasthan, on the would be crucial if 4 DECISION DELAY ON LOCAL FANS a golden chance. “The result is fair,” said Babar said in a vir- ed a white ball coach was other hand, have a lot the Royals aim to con-  # BEBE:"  #   It means Madrid will be sat- Zinedine Zidane. “Our first half tual press conference the domain of PCB. of issues to ponder tain the MI batting line-        @    "  isfied too, after recovering from wasn’t the best, their pressure that the debate over “The team manage- over, particularly in up, keeping in mind Amit 5     K  K     !" a chastening opening half an caused us difficulties but we whether he was a cap- ment is fully supporting the absence of key Mishra’s performance   /   
  #    hour before Benzema’s brilliance adapted and in the second half we tain with authority every player, so I am foreign players - for Delhi. ,      %   left the tie in the balance. were better.” should end now. happy,” he said.