The Jammu and Kashmir administration has extended detention of former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal under the controversial Public Safety Act by three months, official said on Wednesday.

   

Faesal, who has been under detention after scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, was booked under the PSA in February this year.

 

His detention was extended barely hours before it was to come to an end on Wednesday.

 

The PSA has two sections, 'public order' and 'threat to the security of the state'. The former allows detention for three months which can be extended to a year and the latter for two years.

 

Faesal was stopped from taking a flight to Istanbul at the Delhi airport during the intervening night of August 13 and 14 last year and flown back to Srinagar, where he was detained.

 

The former bureaucrat from Jammu and Kashmir had floated the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement party after resigning from the Indian Administrative Service. -- PTI

In an indication that it might soon start mail/express as well as chair car services, the Railway Board on Wednesday issued an order introducing the provision of waiting list starting May 22 for journeys not only on its presently operational special trains but also on all its forthcoming services. 

The railways has, however, capped the waiting list on these trains -- up to 100 for AC 3 tier, 50 for AC 2 tier, 200 for Sleeper Class, 100 for chair cars, and 20 each for First AC and Executive Class. 

The changes will come into effect for tickets booked from May 15 for journeys beginning from May 22.

The order from the railway board to the zones indicates that the railways is planning to run mixed services instead of the presently all air-conditioned trains. This also means that it could begin services to smaller towns along with the major cities that its Rajdhani specials cater to now.

Neither Tatkal/Premium Tatkal Quota nor senior citizen quota will be available on these trains. Reservation against Cancellation (RAC) tickets will also not be allowed.

No waiting ticket holder will be allowed to travel, officials said, adding that they will get full refund.

 

So far there is no order from the railways to begin more services. -- PTI

The railways has operated 642 Shramik Special trains since May 1, ferrying home eight lakh migrant workers who were stranded in various parts of the country due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, officials said on Wednesday.

   

Of these, Uttar Pradesh received the maximum number of trains (301), followed by Bihar (169), they said.

Among other states Madhya Pradesh received 53 trains, Jharkhand 40 trains, Odisha 38, Rajasthan 8, West Bengal 7, Chhattisgarh 6, and Uttarakhand 4 trains.

 

Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra received three trains each, while one train each terminated in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Tripura.

 

A proper screening of the passengers is carried out before they board the trains, the railways has said, adding during the journey, the passengers are given free meals and water.

 

From Monday, these Shramik Special trains started carrying around 1,700 passengers each, instead of the earlier 1,200, to ferry as many workers home as possible.

 

While initially these trains had no stoppages, the Railways announced on Monday that up to three stoppages in the destination states will be allowed.

 

The decision was taken after several state governments made a request in this regard, officials said.

 

While the railways is yet to announce the cost incurred on these special services, officials indicated that the national transporter is spending around Rs 80 lakh per service.

 

The Centre had earlier stated that the cost of the services was shared on a 85:15 ratio between Centre and states.

 

Since the 'Shramik Special' train service started, Gujarat has remained the top originating state, followed by Kerala.

 

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh top the list of receiving states. -- PTI

Nine states and union territories have not reported any new COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours and the rate of doubling of cases has increased to 12.6 days, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday, even as the death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 2,415 and cases climbed to 74,281.

Vardhan, who also reviewed the preparedness of Punjab for managing COVID-19, said Daman and Diu, Sikkim, Nagaland and Lakshadweep have not reported any cases so far.  

While the doubling time of cases in the past 14 days was 11, it has improved to 12.6 in the last three days, he said.

"Today, there are nine states and union territories that have not reported any cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours i.e. A&N (Andaman and Nicobar) Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram," Vardhan said, according to a statement. 

As the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,415 and the number of cases climbed to 74,281, registering an increase of 122 deaths and 3,525 cases in the last 24 hours till Wednesday 8 am, he said the fatality rate is 3.2 per cent and the recovery rate is pegged at 32.8 per cent.

Elaborating on health infrastructure preparedness in the country, Vardhan said 900 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with a capacity of 1,79,882 beds (1,60,610 isolation and 19,272 Intensive Care Unit beds, 2,040 dedicated COVID-19 health centres with 1,29,689 beds (1,19,340 isolation and 10,349 ICU beds) and 5,577 COVID-19 care centres with 4,93,101 beds are available as of now.

Also, 8,708 quarantine centres are available till now, the statement said.

The Centre has also provided 78.42 lakh N95 masks and 42.18 lakh Personal Protective Equipment to states, union territories and central institutions, Vardhan said.

The health minister added that as of Tuesday, 2.75 per cent active COVID-19 patients were in ICU, 0.37 per cent on ventilators and 1.89 per cent on oxygen support. -- PTI

Over 50 per cent of households in rural India are cutting down on their food items following the COVID-19-induced lockdown, according to a study by leading civil rights bodies.

The sample size of the collaborative study 'COVID-19 induced Lockdown-How is Hinterland Coping' was over 5,000 households in 47 districts in 12 states of the country.

It was conducted by civil society organisations PRADAN, Action for Social Advancement, BAIF, Transform Rural India Foundation, Grameen Sahara, SAATHI-UP and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme with research support of Vikas Anvesh Foundation and Sambodhi.

The study showed that 50 per cent of households have reduced the number of meals ever since the lockdown was imposed as part of immediate adjustment for food security. About 68 per cent of households reduced the number of items in their meals, it said.

The nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25 to April 14, then extended to May 3 and again to May 17 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that has claimed 2,415 lives and infected 74,281 people in the country.  

The study showed that 84 per cent households received food items through the public distribution system (PDS), 37 per cent received take home ration.

It said about 24 per cent households borrowed foodgrain in villages and 12 per cent people received free food.

The findings of the study were released in a webinar on Wednesday.

The study found that households have depended on Kharif stock more than Rabi, but that stock is now depleting fast.

"Households are coping with the shock by eating less food and fewer times, and with large dependence on PDS. There is a need for increased food support through PDS and promotion for food crop cultivation in Kharif," the study said.

It said the preparedness for Kharif 2020 is low and there is a need for public support in terms of seed provision and credit. A large chunk of migrants are also yet to return to rural India, the study said.

"Lockdown and rumours have indeed adversely affected income - dairy and poultry. The coping mechanisms mostly clustered around change in food habits and reduction in expenditures," it said.

The study said borrowing is taking place due to indebtedness and this might increase if the effect of shock prevails. Though asset sales are still low but they are already being reported by a small fraction of respondents, it said. -- PTI

The PM CARES Fund Trust on Wednesday decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for fight against COVID-19, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. 

 

Out of the Rs 3,100 crore, neatly Rs 2,000 crore will be earmarked for the purchase of ventilators and Rs 1,000 crore for care of migrant labourers, it said.

Another Rs 100 crore will be given to support coronavirus vaccine development, the statement said.

The trust formed on March 27 is headed by the prime minister. The other ex-officio members of the trust are the defence minister, the home minister and the finance minister. -- PTI 

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported the single-day highest 1,495 new COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths, 40 of them in Mumbai alone, taking the overall case count to 25,922 and the number of fatalities to 975, a health

department official said.

A total of 422 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of the recovered patients to 5,547, he said.

A warning of a thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds was issued by Met department for Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and parts of Marathwada region starting Thursday.

The forecast is valid for the next four days.

"The higher severity of the thunderstorm is predicted for Kolhapur, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli and Solapur on Thursday. These districts are also likely to receive hailstorm as well," said an IMD official.

The forecast is also valid for remaining days in the week but the severity would slightly low, which does not include hailstorm any longer, he added.

"Marathwada region is likely to get more affected with the thunderstorm and gusty winds as the forecast for the central part of the state is till Saturday," he said. -- PTI

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the Centre's COVID-19 economic stimulus package had nothing for lakhs of poor and hungry migrant workers who have been walking to their homes, and expressed disappointment with the finance minister's announcements.

Addressing a press conference through video conferencing, Chidambaram said the Centre has announced Rs 3 lakh crore of collateral-free loans for small businesses, but "where is the remaining Rs 16.4 lakh crore?"

   

"Except for the modest MSME package, we are disappointed with today's announcements," he said.

 

"Where is the rest of the Rs 16.4 lakh crore? This government is a prisoner of its own ignorance and fears. The government must spend more, but it is not willing to do so. The government must borrow more, but it is not willing to do so. The government must allow states to borrow more and spend more, but it is not willing to do so," he said.

 

Chidambaram said the first thing the government needs to do is to put money in the hands of the 13-crore families in the bottom of the population that will cost the government only Rs 65,000 crore if Rs 5,000 is given to each family.

He also called upon the government to address the issue sectorally and provide fiscal support to each sector. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the announcements made by the government on Wednesday to boost the economy will go a long way in addressing issues faced by businesses, especially MSMEs.

 

"The steps announced will boost liquidity, empower the entrepreneurs and strengthen their competitive spirit," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

Seeking to boost the COVID-hit economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced Rs 3-lakh crore collateral-free automatic loan for businesses, including MSMEs.

This will benefit 45 lakh small businesses, she said, detailing parts of the Rs 20-lakh crore economic stimulus.

"Today's announcements by FM @nsitharaman will go a long way in addressing issues faced by businesses, especially MSMEs," Modi said.

The announcements by the finance minister came a day after Prime Minister Modi introduced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore. -- PTI

Rail Bhavan, which is the headquarters of the Indian Railways in Central Delhi, will be shut for the next two days after a Railway Protection Force staffer tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, officials said.

The employee, working as a clerk in RPF Director General Arun Kumar's office on the fourth floor of Rail Bhavan, was in quarantine since May 6, they said.

According to an order issued on Wednesday, the building, which houses the Railway Board, will be shut on May 14 and 15 and intensive sanitisation of all the rooms and common areas will be done. -- PTI

As many as 141 Indian nationals  stranded in the United States arrived in Chennai on Wednesday by an Air IndiaExpress flight, officials said.

The Indian nationals arrived this morning from Chicagovia Mumbai.     Following completion of Immigration and Customs formalities, besides COVID-19 test, they were sent to respective quarantine centres in buses arranged by the Tamil Nadu government, they said.

The quarantine centres located in and around the city, include both government facilities as well as star hotels, the latter available on self payment mode.

As many as 11 people treated as 'special case', were sent to select hospitals for isolation, besides home quarantine.

Indian citizens stranded abroad due to the lockdown triggered by coronavirus are being ferried by the government of India in its biggest ever off-shore evacuation drive under the 'Vande Bharat' Mission.   -- PTI

The home delivery of liquor in Maharashtra will start from May 15, an order issued by the state excise department on Wednesday said.

The state government had on Tuesday allowed home delivery of liquor to avoid crowding at shops amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.

However, as the shop owners had sought some more time for preparation, the service will start from Friday, the government resolution (GR) issued by the state excise department said.

'The home delivery of liquor will commence from Friday across the state, where the shops are already opened in the non-containment zones. One shop owner cannot appoint more than 10 delivery persons and one delivery person cannot carry more than 24 bottles of permitted liquor in one time,' the order said.

Providing relief to the consumers, the government also ordered that the shop owners not to charge over and above the MRP printed on the bottle.

The GR also made it clear that the online sale of liquor is an unwritten contract between the buyer and the seller, hence the state will not be party to any possible dispute between them.

'Despite the online sale, the liquor shops will have to adhere to the laid-down norms of physical distancing and sanitisation of its staff,' the order said.

The government allowed home delivery of liquor in the wake of crowding outside liquor outlets when they opened early last week following relaxations in lockdown norms.  -- PTI

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may be capable of infecting human intestinal tract, in addition to the respiratory system, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, was conducted on human and bat organoids -- miniaturised and simplified versions of the intestine produced in the laboratory.

In addition to reporting the creation of the first bat intestinal organoid, the study also included clinical isolation of the virus from a human stool sample, said the researchers from the University of Hong Kong.

Genetic analysis has revealed that SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to SARS-related coronaviruses found in horseshoe bats, they said.

However, the absence of laboratory models that can be used to study bat viruses limits study in this area, according to the researchers.

It is thought that bat organoids could potentially help in elucidating the origins of SARS-CoV-2, they said.

The researchers noted that the first bat organoid was derived from the horseshoe bat species Rhinolophus sinicus and simulates the cellular makeup of the intestinal epithelium.

They then assessed whether the organoids were susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, and found that they were capable of sustaining viral replication.

The findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect bat intestinal cells, and thus, recapitulate the natural infection in bat intestine.

The researchers also investigated whether human intestinal organoids were susceptible to the virus and observed that viral replication took place here too.

They were also able to isolate SARS-CoV-2 from the stool specimen of a female patient diagnosed with COVID-19, which suggests that intestinal infection may have occurred.

The researchers note that the precise route by which human intestinal infection may take place is unclear, but that this could represent an additional route of viral transmission.   -- PTI 

Due date for Income Tax returns for the year 2019-2020 now being extended from July 31 and October 31 to November 30, 2020, says Sitharaman.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces Rs 30,000 crore liquidity facility for Non-Banking Finance Companies, housing finance companies and Micro finance Institutions.

RS 90,000 crore liquidity injection for Power Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), Sitharaman said.

In a major relief to contractors, all central agencies to provide an extension of up to six months, without cost to contractor, to obligations like completion of work covering construction and goods and services contracts.   -- PTI/ANI

"We shall not forget that we do have a responsibility towards the poor, needy, the migrants workers, divyang and the aged of the country. 

"In a major initiative, we announce Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for businesses, including SMEs. Collateral free loan to be provided to SMEs with 12-month moratorium; 45 lakh units to benefit.

Borrowers with up Rs 25 cr outstanding and Rs 100 cr turnover are eligible. Government will provide stressed MSMEs with equity support; government will facilitate the provision of Rs 20,000  crores as subordinate debt."    

Sitharam says, "PM laid out a comprehensive vision, and that vision was laid out after wide consultations with several sections of the society. Essentially this is to spurt growth and to build a very self reliant India and that is why this whole initiative is called Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Five pillars of  Atmanirbhar Bharat are economy, infrastructure, system, demography and demand. "Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) India does not mean India is to be an isolationist country. "The Direct Benefit Transfer, Micro insurance schemes, PM Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Swachh Bharat and Ayushman Bharat were all transformative reforms which have benefited the poor in a big way."

"I do like to appreciate your sincere attempt of sending back stranded persons, which include migrant workers, patients and their family, students, pilgrims and tourists, to their native places by announcing 300 special trains," Chowdhury wrote in the letter. 

The migrant workers and those grounded away from their home are now facing a severe financial crunch. They cannot afford the fare, which is quite high and beyond their reach," he said. 

"Please consider the reduced rates of tickets if not free travel," the former minister of state for railways wrote. Chowdhury also made a request to add non-AC coaches along with the air conditioned ones of the special passenger trains as common passengers are unable to purchase the high-priced tickets. 

The Congress, which has repeatedly slammed the Modi government for poor handling of the problems faced by the stranded labourers, has already announced that all its state units will bear the cost of rail travel of the needy migrant workers and labourers stranded at their workplaces due to coronavirus-induced lockdown and seeking to return home. -- PTI

Delhi Police opposed the petition stating that investigation is going in a fine manner and added that there is no need to transfer the case to another agency. -- PTI

The documents seized include passports of these persons.Earlier on May 5, Delhi Police Crime Branch had interrogated the son of Maulana Saad, the chief of Tablighi Jamaat, and sought details about 20 people who had attended the Markaz at Nizamuddin in the national capital or were part of its management.

An FIR was registered earlier against Tablighi Jamaat chief and others under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 in connection with the congregation held at Markaz in the Nizamuddin area of the national capital. -- ANI

Image: Passengers begin the long walk home from Delhi railway station. Pic: ANI

Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Nagpur bench of the high court was hearing a petition taken up suo moto on the plight of migrants, daily wage labourers and other stranded persons who are heading towards their home states on foot on highways and other roads. The HC on Tuesday said the special teams to be formed by the authorities shall inform either the district collector or the concerned police commissioner or superintendent of police about the number of stranded persons. 

These authorities will then request the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation to arrange for buses to ferry these persons to the state border. Advocate Deven Chauhan, who was appointed by the court to assist it, submitted that certain points on highways should be marked as bus stands and that the MSRTC should be directed to make buses available at these stands. 

He further sought a direction to all district collectors to erect temporary shelters with basic facilities like beds, fans and toilets for the migrants and others. He also demanded setting up of medical check up points. 

The HC noted that the lockdown imposed in view of the coronavirus pandemic has triggered mass movement of migrant workers and others who are trying to return to their native places as they are unable to sustain without jobs. -- PTI

Out of these 11 Empowered Groups, nine are headed by Secretary level officers, one by a member of NITI Aayog and one by the CEO of NITI Aayog.

These groups are empowered to identify problem areas and provide effective solutions, delineate policy, formulate plans, strategies operations and take all necessary steps for effective and time-bound implementation of these plans, policies, strategies, decisions in their respective areas. -- ANI

Amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state, Maharashtra has asked the Centre for reinforcements so the fatigued and over-worked police force in the state can get some rest. 

The state government has made a request for companies of Central Armed Police Forces to maintain law and order. 

The development comes two days after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told Prime Minister Modi during the video conference that the state should be given central forces as police are under heavy pressure.

The state has asked for 2000 Central cops to be deployed in the state.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday wrote to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking zero interest on home loans availed by the poor and middle class and also waiver of power bills of farmers for four months.

  

In a letter to the UP chief minister, she also sought a slew of relief measures including waivers on bank loans and power bills of small and medium industries in the state, which are considered the backbone of the economy.

In her letter, she called for relief to weavers and workers in various small and cottage industries in the state including carpet, textiles and 'chikan' work.

Vadra also condoled the demise of Adityanath's father. This was the first time she was writing to him after his father's death. 

Adityanath's father passed away on April 20.

In a big push to revive the COVID-hit economy, PM Modi on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore. 

Modi outlined a Rs 20-lakh-crore which is 9.7 per cent of GDP support package, of which new allocations could only be 50-60 per cent of the offer. But until more details are known, financing burden will fall on the bond markets, Radhika Rao, the economist at Singaporean lender DBS Bank said in a note on Wednesday. 

She further noted that "the new fiscal package is upsized and its scale lends a positive surprise, at a bigger-than-anticipated size with emphasis on making the economy more self-reliant via local manufacturing and improved supply chains'. It can be noted that the government had in late March announced fiscal measures worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore while the RBI offered liquidity support of Rs 3.7 lakh crore in March and Rs 2 lakh crore in April. 

"The new fiscal measures might account to around 60 per cent or Rs 12-13 lakh crore. If this includes a wider net of RBI measures, then the new package might amount to Rs 10 lakh crore," Rao said. She further said coordinated approach is needed to cushion a part of the after effects of the growth slowdown, which will impact incomes, jobs and business viability.  -- PTI

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 74,200 people and killed around 2,400 people in the country till now. 

All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended for the lockdown period. PTI 

Indian nationals stranded in London arrive at Kempe Gowda International Airport under mission Vande Bharat in Bengaluru on Monday. Pic: ANI

The Indian Railways resumed passenger train operations from May 12, initially with 15 pairs of trains, weeks after these were suspended due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. Railway authorities said all passengers were compulsorily screened and given hand sanitisers at entry and exit points and in trains. 

Though the train journey remained smooth for most of the passengers, their excitement to reach home disappeared as they stepped out of the station premises. 

There was no bus, cab or any other transport option available for onward journeys. Many passengers carrying heavy luggage stood clueless outside the railway station, while some tried to convince local cab drivers to take them home in various states. 

"We can give you Rs 6,000 maximum if you take us to Roorkee (a distance of about 200 km)," a man said to a driver who reached the station to pick up a family which had already booked his taxi. Another man was seen asking a rickshaw-puller to take to take him to Anand Vihar. 

Vishnu, 24, who boarded a train from Sabarmati along with his wife and three-year-old boy, said he gave Rs 1,800 to a tempo driver to reach the Ahmedabad station. "My brother-in-law booked the ticket for us for Rs 1,750. We have to go to Ravi Nagar in West Delhi, but the family doesn't have a vehicle at home," he said. 

Ratnakar, a resident of Uttam Nagar, who had gone to his village in Bihar's Begusarai district, said he had no clue about the non-availability of public transport in Delhi. His father, who is in his 60s, said if they start walking, they would reach home by evening. 

"Why have they started running trains when there is no bus or metro available? We had no clue that there will be no public transport whatsoever in Delhi," he said. Aviral Mathur, who reached here on the first train from Ahmedabad, said the Delhi government should have at least run a few buses for passengers travelling on special trains. -- PTI

States bringing back stranded persons from different parts of the country during a nationwide lockdown have witnessed a rise in COVID-19 cases, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said, adding that over 18,000 stranded people from Nagaland have registered themselves with the state government's portal to return to their homes. 

"The government has decided to give Rs 10,000 to citizens of the state, presently staying outside, who opt to stay back where they are at present," Toy said. 

On Tuesday, the chief secretary had said that the state government had made detailed plans to facilitate the return of the migrants in a staggered manner due to insufficient quarantine facilities and other resources but the Centre starting special train services to ferry stranded people to their native places has "thrown these plans out of gear". 

Considering the circumstances, the state government has decided to prioritise the return of stranded elderly persons and patients who had gone outside the state for treatment, he said. -- PTI

The total number of people infected by the novel coronavirus has climbed to 217 in Nepal with 83 new cases, the highest number of confirmation of virus transmission in a single-day, Joint Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Samir Kumar Adhikari said on Tuesday.  -- PTI

Within days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with the chief ministers, Baghel said that even the Tamil Nadu chief minister has raised concern of not coordinating and informing states ahead of sending migrant trains, putting everybody in a grave danger of the novel coronavirus. 

"If the statements are made (by central leaders) and the information is leaked to newspapers including about the visit of the central team, then the states are justified in getting angry," he told PTI in an interview. 

Making a strong case for a more coordinated approach in the battle against the coronavirus, Baghel said the states "need to be and must be" taken into confidence. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recently accused the Centre of "playing politics" and dubbed as "poorly planned" exercise of national lockdown. 

She had attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly releasing to the media a letter he had written to the state about not allowing trains to ferry migrant labourers to West Bengal. "...why did Mr. Amit Shah need to write a letter and send that to the press? After it was out in the news, people were asking me. What am I supposed to do? Why don't you speak to us directly? I request this must not happen to other states," a TMC press release had quoted her as having said in the meeting with the prime minister. 

In a video conference with Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami has opposed resumption of passenger train services and air services in the state till May 31. 

"We know from media that regular train service to Chennai (from Delhi) and from Chennai will commence from May 12. As the positive cases in Chennai are showing an increasing trend, don't permit train service up to 31.5.2020, in my state," Palaniswami had told Modi. 

Baghel said the states need to be taken into confidence before any measure is initiated while pointing out had the Centre consulted states on time, many of the hardships could have been averted. Citing the plight of labourers who are forced to travel by foot on roads and on railway tracks, the chief minister of the Congress-ruled state said it is heart-wrenching to see starvation or accidental deaths. 

"If the central government had done all arrangements (related to the movement of workers) before they allowed the movement of migrants, then we would have not seen such frightening scenes of large numbers of people walking on the roads barefoot and with all their family members," he said. 

Baghel said that had the Centre decided on the resumption of trains for ferrying workers and on their movement, before March 24, pains of labourers could have been minimised. 

"They should have arranged for their movement earlier. They should have taken the states into confidence. There was no arrangement for buses and trains for the workers. People are worried. They want to go back to their home. Some are going on foot and even walking on railway tracks. It is resulting in death of some as well, which is heart-wrenching," he said. 

On the question of returning migrant workers to his state, Baghel said some of them might have the potential of carrying the deadly virus. "We have done all preparations to deal with it. It is true that thousands of workers and stranded people of Chhattisgarh are coming back to the state. They will come from red zone and orange zone. Who all might they meet on the way and get contamination? It is a matter of concern for us. But we have done all preparations for it," he said. 

Baghel said over 16,000 quarantine centres have been made in villages so that these people can be kept there in case of need for 14 days. "We have to manage their food and shelter as well and also for the employment needs after they have completed 14 days' quarantine. None of the states like Chhattisgarh is trying to run way from its responsibility of providing basic needs to these returning workers," he said. 

The chief minister, however, said if the states do not know about the trains carrying workers started by the Centre, then there are chances of cases of infection going up. "If we do not know where would people go after coming from trains? If we do not know whether they are clean or carrying the infection? Then there is a possibility of infection cases going up," he said. 

Baghel said the states should have the rights to decide on what all activities can be started for reviving the economy and also on resumption of inter-state road, rail and air services for the passengers. -- PTI 

Pakistan reported another highest daily rise in coronavirus cases with 2,255 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the country's health ministry.

The country instituted a phased reopening from lockdown on Saturday.

The total number of cases in Pakistan now stands at 34,336, with 737 deaths recorded as a result of the virus.

-- Press conference will be  Telecast live by DD and ANI.

-- It will be also live streamed on Social Media platforms (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook etc) of FINMIN & PIB.

-- Media who will be covering the presser from their homes/studios can WhatsApp their questions to the FM. 

The purpose of the bank is to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging economies and developing nations, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development. 

The 'Emergency Assistance Program Loan' to India was approved by the NDB Board of Directors on April 30, and it is aimed at supporting the Indian government to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce human, social and economic losses caused by the coronavirus outbreak. 

"The NDB is fully committed to supporting its member countries in the time of calamity. Emergency Assistance Program Loan to India was approved in quick response to the urgent request and immediate financing needs of the Government of India in fighting COVID-19," Xian Zhu, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of the bank said in a statement issued on Tuesday. -- PTI

"The impact of COVID-19 has severely impacted the domestic hotel and hospitality sector in Q1 2020," property consultant JLL India said in a report. 

According to the data, both the occupancy level and RevPAR went down in all the 11 cities individually. The occupancy level fell most in Delhi at 16.9 percentage points during January-March 2020 as compared with the year-ago period, followed by Jaipur at 16.4 percentage points. 

There was a decline of 15.2 percentage points each in the occupancy level in hotels across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram. Hotels in Kolkata saw a drop of 13.5 percentage points in the occupancy level. 

Hyderabad witnessed 12.1 percentage points fall, Pune 11.8 percentage points, Goa 10 percentage points, Chennai 9.7 percentage points and Ahmedabad 5.1 percentage points. 

In RevPAR, the maximum fall was seen in Bengaluru at 28.5 per cent, followed by Delhi 20.3 per cent, Mumbai 20 per cent, Kolkata 19.8 per cent, Jaipur 19.6 per cent, Gurugram 19.5 per cent, Goa 15.3 per cent, Chennai 14.8 per cent, Hyderabad 13.6 per cent, Pune 13.4 per cent and Ahmedabad 13.2 per cent. 

"Mumbai continues to be the RevPAR leader in absolute terms, despite the decline of RevPAR by 20 per cent in Q1 2020 compared to Q1 2019," the report said. "Glimpses of travel decline started in late February, and by March, the writing was on the wall that hotels would be facing their toughest test since the global financial crisis," said Jaideep Dang, Managing Director, Hotels and Hospitality Group, JLL India. 

The high performance of the hotel industry in 2019 was followed by a positive start in January of 2020, but the situation has completely changed within the last two months, he said. "On back of halted travel, pressure on hotel occupancies will be felt through the year," Dang said. 

The COVID-19 outbreak and the containment measures introduced by the government have resulted in a severe drop in foreign and domestic travel, across both business and leisure travel segments, the report said. JLL said that the growth and development of the sector will be impacted with new hotel signings getting deferred or cancelled for the time being. -- PTI

Similarly, NSE Nifty soared 213.50 points, or 2.32 per cent, to 9,410.05. ICICI Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging around 7 per cent, followed by L&T, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Hero MotoCorp, M&M, UltraTech Cement and Maruti. 

On the other hand, Nestle India, Bharti Airtel, Sun Pharma and Reliance Industries were trading in the red. In the previous session, the BSE barometer settled 190.10 points or 0.60 per cent lower at 31,371.12, and broader Nifty declined 42.65 points, or 0.46 per cent, to 9,196.55. 

Foreign portfolio investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,662.03 crore in the capital market on Tuesday, provisional exchange data showed. According to analysts, domestic investors cheered the government's massive stimulus package to revive the pandemic-stricken economy. -- PTI

Shakuntala delivered the baby near Bijasan border.AK Ray, the Block Officer of Unchehara area in Satna, informed that the baby and the mother are doing fine.

"There had been news that they had started from Nashik and after delivery which happened on the roadside they continued walking for another 150 kilometres. Then information came that they had been helped by the Madhya Pradesh administration which gave them food and sent them to their place," Ray told ANI.

"We conducted their health checkups and now they will be sent to home quarantine," he added.

Many migrants like Shankuntala and Rakesh have been forced to walk all the way to their native places as the country continues to remain in lockdown. -- ANI

"Thus, around 32.83 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior health ministry official said. The total confirmed cases include foreign nationals too. 

A total 122 deaths deaths were reported since Tuesday morning, of which 53 were in Maharashtra, 24 in Gujarat, 13 in Delhi, eight each in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, four each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two each in Telangana and Uttar Pradesh and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Puducherry. Of the 2,415 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 921 fatalities, Gujarat comes second with 537 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 225, West Bengal at 198, Rajasthan at 117, Delhi at 86, Uttar Pradesh at 82,Tamil Nadu at 61 and Andhra Pradesh at 46. The death toll reached 32 in Punjab and Telangana each. Karnataka has reported 31 fatalities due to the respiratory disease, Haryana has registered 11, Jammu and Kashmir 10, Bihar six and Kerala has reported four deaths. Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Odisha have recorded three COVID-19 fatalities each while Himachal Pradesh and Assam have reported two deaths each. Meghalaya, Uttarakhand and Puducherry have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data.  According to the ministry's website, more than 70 per cent of the deaths are due to comorbidities. -- PTI

The Indian Railways resumed passenger train operations from May 12, initially with 15 pairs of trains, weeks after these were suspended due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. 

Many passengers stood clueless outside the railway station, while some tried to convince to local cab drivers to take them home in various states. A group of 14 men who worked at a hotel in Jaipur were among those scrambling for transport. 

Ashok Tamta, 22, from Khatima in Uttarakhand said they have no clue as to how they will reach their home. Tamta, who was to get married on April 8, said the Jaipur hotel where he worked closed leaving them jobless. 

"We had no option but to return to our places. We did not think once when the train services resumed, booked a ticked and set out on our journeys," he said. 

His friend and co-worker Deepak Kumar from Pithoragarh said they will sleep on the roads and walk to their home state if they don't get any transport. A group of three men from Chennai, who worked in Jaipur, were also among those who were waiting outside the station till their train to hometown reach the station at 4 pm. Furkaan, 26, said there was no option but to wait outside on the road. The only relief is that the weather is cloudy. His friend Gilani, 26, said they had dinner last night and that there was no food left with them. 

"It's going to be hard...but what's assuring is that we will reach our home," he said. -- PTI

Image: A passenger, Vandana, who arrived in Delhi from Ahmedabad says she was stranded for 55 days and was staying at her relative's place. "I am very happy and also thankful to the Railways for arranging these trains. It took me 3 hours to get a ticket."

BMC medical college hospitals, Sion, Nair, KEM and Seven Hills have started using the Tocilizumab injection, according to a release by the municipal corporation.

So far the drug has been used on approximately 40 COVID-19 patients, who were severely affected, and encouraging results have been seen in more than 30 patients, with 14 patients having already recovered and discharged from the hospital, according to BMC.

This medicine has improved the condition of the patients and has prevented patients from being put on ventilators and hastened their recovery.The drug, Tocilizumab, has been used based on the experiences of many physicians and hospitals world over.

Out of three patients from Dharavi, who have been administered this drug, 1 male patient aged 38 years was discharged from Nair Hospital on Tuesday.

Maharashtra with 23,401 confirmed COVID-19 cases is the worst-affected state by the infection in the country. However, 4,786 patients have also been cured and discharged as of Tuesday morning, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. -- ANI

"We are expecting that the government will soon allow us to deploy 100 per cent employees. It will be very helpful for us," Sandip Ghosh, Manager told ANI. As a precautionary measure, the tea garden workers were wearing masks and also being strictly monitored for maintaining social distancing norm to prevent coronavirus spread.According to the Union Health Ministry, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India crossed 70,000 with nearly 2,300 dead. Five states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have the majority of cases of the lethal infection. - ANI

"As many as 35 trains have left so far from various parts of Maharashtra carrying nearly 42,000 migrant labourers back to their home states. The number will jump in the coming days, thanks to the Indian Railways' decision to run more trains for migrant workers," the official said on Tuesday. 

A large number of migrant labourers in Maharashtra have been registering themselves with local police in a bid to go back home. Some of the main railway stations for long distance trains in the state have been witnessing a steady stream of migrant workers who are desperate to go back home. 

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has also organised about 300 bus services so far to drop the homeward-bound migrant labourers at the state border along Madhya Pradesh, another official said. 

This has been done to facilitate transportation of labourers who have set off for their homes on foot, a senior MSRTC official said. "The MSRTC has been running some bus services from Nashik, Pune and Mumbai for labourers who are walking on roads. We have decided to drop them at least at the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border to ease some of their travel woes," the official said. -- PTI 

A 31-year-old army jawan who had tested positive for Covid-19 hanged himself from a tree at the armys Base Hospital in west Delhis Naraina. 

The jawan was being treated for lung cancer and had been admitted to the armys Research and Referral Hospital in Dhaula Kuan before being moved to the Naraina hospital on May 5 after testing positive for Covid-19, said Deepak Purohit, deputy commissioner of police (west).

He was last seen by other patients at 1 am on Tuesday when he visited the toilet behind the Covid ward of the hospital, he said.

He didnt leave behind a suicide note, but we feel he killed himself due to distress over his illness, Purohit said

The jawan was from Maharashtra, but his family lives in Rajasthans Alwar, where he was posted as a signalman until he was admitted to the RR Hospital for cancer treatment.

A spokesperson of the Indian Army confirmed the incident and called it sad and painful.

Saudi Arabia will impose a 24-hour nation-wide lockdown during the five-day Eid holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan and is celebrated in the kingdom on May 23-27 this year, a spokesperson of the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

"All coronavirus-related restrictions will be in place until the end of Ramzan, full ban on movement will be imposed from Ramzan 30 to Shawwal 4 [May 23-27]," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by a state-run agency. 

Citizens across the Kingdom will be allowed to move freely from 9 am to 5 pm local time before Eid, except for the city of Mecca that is still under full lockdown.

Saudi Arabia confirmed over 1,900 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday while the coronavirus-related death toll increased by nine to 264. More than 15,000 people have already recovered from the infection.

The Mecca region, with over 9,000 cases, is the most affected by the illness.

Russia is reporting the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally. 

The country has officially recorded at least 232,243 confirmed cases and at least 2,116 deaths from the virus, according to JHU. 

Tuesday was the 10th consecutive day that Russia reported more than 10,000 new cases.

Twitter said in a statement that it has announced a new policy permitting all of its employees to work from home not only through the current coronavirus pandemic but also indefinitely afterwards if they want to.

"[I]f our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen," the statement said on Tuesday. Otherwise, employees would also have the option of returning to work in the company's offices with additional precautions when it was deemed safe to return to them, it said.

Twitter will not be opening its offices before September and there will be no business travel before that month, with very few exceptions, and no in-person company events for the rest of this year, the statement added.

The railways has operated 602 "Shramik Special" trains since May 1 and ferried home seven lakh migrants stranded in various parts of the country amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, officials said on Tuesday.

On Monday, a statement issued by the Union ministry of home affairs said the railways will now run 100 "Shramik Special" trains on a daily basis to facilitate faster movement of workers. 

Of the 575 trains run till 4 pm Tuesday, 463 have reached their destinations and 112 are in transit.

The 463 trains were terminated in various states, including Uttar Pradesh (221), Bihar (117), Madhya Pradesh (38), Odisha (29), Jharkhand (27), Rajasthan (four), Maharashtra (three), Telangana and West Bengal (two each), and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (one each).

The trains have ferried migrants to cities such as Tiruchirappalli, Titlagarh, Barauni, Khandwa, Jagannathpur, Khurda Road, Allahabad, Chhapra, Balia, Gaya, Purnia, Varanasi, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, Lucknow,

Jaunpur, Hatia, Basti, Katihar, Danapur, Muzzaffarpur and Saharsa.

A proper screening of the passengers is carried out before they board the trains. During the journey, the passengers are given free meals and water.

From Monday, these "Shramik Special" trains started carrying around 1,700 passengers each, instead of the earlier 1,200, to ferry as many workers home as possible.

While initially these trains had no stoppages, the railways announced on Monday that up to three stoppages in the destination states will be allowed. 

The decision was taken after several state governments made a request in this regard, officials said. -- PTI