Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said there is no reconsideration on the plan to issue a foreign currency overseas sovereign bond. The clarification comes amidst

No rethink on sovereign bond issue: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said there is no reconsideration on the plan to issue a foreign currency overseas sovereign bond. The clarification comes amidst reports that the PMO&nbsp; and allies of the ruling BJP wanted the finance ministry to reassess the idea of&nbsp; sovereign bonds and seek wider consultation. The government plans to borrow nearly $10 billion from the foreign overseas market, out of total planned borrowing of about $103 billion for the year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said there is no reconsideration on the plan to issue a foreign currency overseas sovereign bond. The clarification comes amidst reports that the PMO and allies of the ruling BJP wanted the finance ministry to reassess the idea of sovereign bonds and seek wider consultation. The government plans to borrow nearly $10 billion from the foreign overseas market, out of total planned borrowing of about $103 billion for the year.

As the second wave of the deadly coronavirus continues to claim more lives, cases and deaths in rural India have quadrupled compared to the first wave. According t

As the second wave of the deadly coronavirus&nbsp;continues to claim more lives, cases and deaths in rural India have quadrupled compared to the first wave. According to Indian Express, an analysis of the data available for 242 districts out of 272 districts that are covered by&nbsp;the Backward Region Grant Fund shows that&nbsp;more than 39.16 lakh people were infected with the disease as on May 5 -&nbsp;more than four times the 9.5 lakh infections at the peak of the first wave on September 16, 2020.
Rural India with its already skeletal and inadequate medical infrastructure had reported&nbsp;36,523 deaths till May 5 in 243 districts under BRGF, 4 times the fatalities seen during the first wave.&nbsp;By September 16, 2020, those dead in these districts numbered 9,555, the Indian Express reported stated.&nbsp;

While 1,70,841 COVID patients across the country are on ventilator, as many as 9,02,291 patients are on oxygen support, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Satu

While 1,70,841 COVID patients across the country are on ventilator, as many as 9,02,291 patients are on oxygen support, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday.
In his virtual address at the 25th meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) to discuss the pandemic situation, the minister said that 1.34 percent of COVID caseload was in ICU, 0.39 percent of cases were on ventilators and 3.70 percent COVID patients were on oxygen support.
He said that across the country, the number of patients in ICU beds is 4,88,861 while 1,70,841 patients were on ventilators and 9,02,291 patients were on oxygen support.
The meeting was attended by Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep S Puri, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health and Family Welfare and Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog were present virtually.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the government over the goods and services tax on vaccines.His remarks came after several Opposition-ruled st

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the government over the goods and services tax on vaccines. His remarks came after several Opposition-ruled states questioned the five per cent GST on the Covid vaccines.
 In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul&nbsp;said, "lives of people can be lost, but the tax collection of the Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi should not be lost." With the five per cent GST on Covid vaccines the state governments have to pay Rs 15-20 extra per dose to the central government.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has urged the central government to allow states to develop their ownapplications for COVID-19 vaccination programme.

&nbsp;Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has urged the central government to allow states to develop their ownapplications for COVID-19 vaccination programme.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thackeray said the vaccination drive in Maharashtra has been the "fastest and the most efficient in the country".
At present, people have to register their names on CoWIN platform introduced by the central government for the vaccination.
"As we plan to open up vaccination for the 18 to 45 age group through the state's procurement, the CoWIN app is seeing a sudden surge in the number of citizens wanting to register nationally. There is fear about the app malfunctioning and crashing as it did on the first day of registration of the age group," he said.
"We propose either a separate app developed by states, where the data can be shared with the Union government's ministry of health or a CoWIN app for each state, developed and assigned by the government of India," he said.
This would ensure better interface and experience for citizens who are really keen to take the vaccine shot, the chief minister added.
Thackeray wrote that the vaccine supply was also a major challenge.

The Supreme Court on Saturday formed a 12-member National Task Force to assess availability and distribution of medical oxygen - on scientific, rational and equitable b

The Supreme Court on Saturday formed a 12-member National Task Force to assess availability and distribution of medical oxygen - on scientific, rational and equitable basis - across the country.
The task force of 12 eminent doctors will also suggest measures to ensure similarly rational and equitable availability of medicines needed to treat Covid-19.
The Supreme Court has directed the centre to provide the necessary assistance and said that all stakeholders - from state governments to hospitals - must co-operate.
The task force will have an initial tenure of six months.

At a time when images of relatives of deceased Covid-19 patients queuing up at crematoriums have shaken the nation's psyche, a crematorium in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal is

At a time when images of relatives of deceased Covid-19 patients queuing up at crematoriums have shaken the nation's psyche, a crematorium in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal is giving temporary refuge to people who bring their loved ones to the city for treatment and lose them to the disease.
Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat has been providing beds and meals to relatives of Covid-19 patients, who perform the last rites of loved ones.
More than half a dozen people spend their night at the facility daily after cremating their loves ones, thanks to the trust looking after the place and providing them food, water and bedding in these difficult times.

The top peer reviewed journal, the Lancet blames Modi's govt to handle the Covid-19 situation. At times, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government ha

The top peer reviewed&nbsp;journal, the Lancet has blamed the Centre of mishandling&nbsp;the Covid-19 crisis.&nbsp; The Lancet said in an editorial that at times, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has seemed more intent on removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;
It wrote that that Narendra&nbsp;Modi&rsquo;s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable.
The editorial said the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation&nbsp;estimates that India will see a staggering 1 million deaths from Covid-19 by August 1.&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;If that outcome were to happen, Modi&rsquo;s Government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe,&rdquo; the editorial wrote.

Farmers took out protest marches at several places in Punjab on Saturday against the weekend lockdown imposed by the state government amid rising cases of Covid-19 infe

Farmers took out protest marches at several places in Punjab on Saturday against the weekend lockdown imposed by the state government amid rising cases of Covid-19 infection and fatalities.The protests were taken out in Moga, Patiala, Amritsar, Ajnala, among other places in the state.
Punjab's 32 farmer unions, protesting the Central farm laws, urged shopkeepers to defy the restrictions and open their shops.&nbsp;Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan&nbsp;said that lockdown&nbsp;was not the solution to the Covid-19 crisis and also accused the&nbsp;government of doing nothing to improve the health infrastructure.
Police personnel in adequate numbers were deployed across the state in the wake of farmers' protest.

The Supreme Court on Saturday passed a detailed order on decongesting prisons amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. The court said that the police should not arrest the ac

The Supreme Court on Saturday passed a detailed order on decongesting prisons amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. The court said that the police should not arrest the accused unless necessary in crimes sentenced with less than seven years of imprisonment. It also directed the authorities to ensure that proper medical facilities are provided to the inmates.
The court has asked the state governments and Union territories to identify and release the vulnerable categories of prisoners on an urgent basis.
In addition, the Supreme Court also directed that prisoners who were granted parole last year should again be given a 90-day furlough owing to the pandemic.

Covid positive report will no longer be mandatory for admitting suspect Covid patients to hospitals and Covid-care centres. The Health Ministry on Saturday revised hos

Covid positive report will no longer be mandatory for admitting suspect Covid patients to hospitals and Covid-care centres.
The Health Ministry on Saturday revised hospital admission guidelines for people with Covid. It has directed the states to ensure all suspect patients are admitted and given access to oxygen and drugs like any patient who has a Covid-positive report.
The new policy says no patient will be refused services on any count. This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city.
Also, no patient shall be refused admission on the ground that he/she is not able to produce a valid identity card that does not belong to the city where the hospital is located.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke with four Chief Ministers in separate phone calls and discussed the coronavirus situation in their states. The PM dialed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke with four Chief Ministers in separate phone calls and discussed the coronavirus situation in their states.
The PM dialed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and said that the state was fighting a good battle against the second wave.&nbsp;The CM requested that Maharashtra be given more strength in terms of oxygen &amp; informed about various measures.
The PM also spoke with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
In the last three days, PM Modi has spoken with 10 Chief Ministers and two Lieutenant Governors to take stock of their states and union territories are dealing with the pandemic.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given permission for the emergency use of drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe Cov

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given permission for the emergency use of drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe Covid-19 cases, the Defence Research and Development Organisation said on Saturday.
The drug has been developed by DRDO lab Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences in collaboration with Dr Reddy&rsquo;s Laboratories. "Clinical trial have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence," DRDO said on Saturday.
"Being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty," it added. An adjunct therapy refers to an alternative treatment that is used together with the primary treatment. Its purpose is to assist the primary treatment.

Cadila Healthcare Ltd. plans to submit trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine by end of May and is looking for an approval in June, Financial Express r

Cadila&nbsp;Healthcare&nbsp;Ltd.&nbsp;plans to submit trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine by end of May and is looking for an approval in June, Financial Express&nbsp;reported&nbsp;citing Sharvil Patel, managing director of Cadila.
The Phase-III clinical trials of the ZyCoV-D vaccine will be representative of its efficacy against many known variants as different ones have surfaced in this wave, Patel told Financial Express.&nbsp;
Cadila Healthcare&nbsp;started producing its potential Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine last month for which it will seek emergency use authorisation in May or June, with an aim to make up to 240 million doses a year.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that his government can vaccinate the entire national capital in three months if he gets nearly 85 lakh doses a mo

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that his government can vaccinate the entire national capital in three months if he gets nearly 85 lakh doses a month. The CM added that about 1 lakh vaccine doses are being administered in the city every day presently. He appealed to the Centre to increase the number of doses for Delhi as the govt needs to increase the daily vaccination figures to 3 lakh. "As we anticipate a third wave, it becomes all the more necessary to speed up the vaccine drive,"Kejriwal said.

As India reels under the second wave of Covid-19, cases of deadly fungal infection mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, are rising. Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram ho

As India reels under the second wave of Covid-19, cases of deadly fungal infection mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, are rising.&nbsp;
Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram hospital has reported at least six cases in the last few days of the infection among those recovered from Covid. Around 300 cases have been reported in Gujarat's Morbi. while at least 40 cases of mucormycosis have been reported from Surat among those who have recovered from Covid-19. Of the 40, eight have lost their eyesight&nbsp;
 So what it this Black Fungus infection and how dangerous it is...&nbsp;
 It's a severe fungal infection that attacks people with decreased immunity...
 Use of steroids and Remdesivir in Covid treatment leads to depleting immunity...
 People who have recovered from Covid but have diabetes, AIDS, Cancer or heart issues are at the risk of contracting the infection...
 Common symptoms are swelling in eyes, bleeding from nose, eyes, ears or oral cavity... nasal blockage and severe headache...
Infection moves from sinus into eye and in some case even infects the brain...
 Patients suffer loss of eyesight, removal of nose bone or jaw bone... and even death&nbsp;In fact, black fungus has a higher mortality rate than Covid. However, doctors say that the disease can be cured with timely diagnosis and treatment...&nbsp; So how can you guard against Black Fungus infection:&nbsp;&nbsp;
 First, work on your immunity
 Diabetics must monitor sugar levels regularly, especially those given steroids during Covid treatment...
 And most important: Covid vaccine. Get that shot at the earliest to protect yourselves against Covid and in turn Mucormycosis.

A war of words has ensued between BJP MP Rajeev Pratap Rudy and Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav over unused ambulances parked at Rudy premises at the time of Covid

A war of words has ensued between BJP MP Rajeev Pratap Rudy and Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav over unused ambulances parked at Rudy premises at the time of Covid pandemic.
Yadav, who is also a former MP tweeted a video of a fleet of ambulances parked covered with tarpaulin at a land owned by Rudy in Bihar's Saran.
The ambulances are marked with phrase MPLADS 2019, meaning they have been bought from MP's fund.
Rudy, who is MP from Saran, has hit back saying the ambulances were stationary because of a lack of drivers. He asked Pappu Yadav to take all the ambulances if he can arrange drivers to help the people of Saran.
Rudy claimed that on Thursday he had written to the District Magistrate of Chhapra to ask for doctors who can drive the ambulances.

UK health officials on Friday labelled a coronavirus variant first found in India a “variant of concern”. The UK govt has said it appeared to spread at leas

UK health officials on Friday labelled a coronavirus variant first found in India a &ldquo;variant of concern&rdquo;. The UK govt has said it appeared to spread at least as readily as the one they found last year, which went on to trigger new waves of Covid-19 and force several countries into lockdown.
As per the latest genome sequencing data shared by Indian labs with the global repository GISAID - B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 accounted for 58% of all samples submitted in the last 30 days, the Hindustan Times has reported.
Public Health England on Friday announced it has found the Indian variant to have spread in Britain in a way similar to the early days of B.1.1.7, which is now known as the UK variant.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a two week lockdown from May 10 amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. The order was issued a day after the state recorded its biggest

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a two-week lockdown from May 10 amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. The order was issued a day after the state recorded its biggest day spike of 26,465 new infections.
Tamil Nadu is among the 12 states that has over one lakh active Covid-19 cases each at present, according to the central government.
Tamil Nadu has joined the growing list of states going for stricter lockdowns to curb the rising Covid cases. MP, Karnataka, Kerala and Rajasthan have announced total lockdowns.

Miracles do happen. Parents of 5-month-old Dhairya had lost all hopes of saving their child after they were told the cost of treatment. The child, who was diagnosed wi

Miracles do happen. Parents of 5-month-old Dhairya had lost all hopes of saving their child after they were told the cost of treatment.
The child, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I, needed a drug called 'Zolgensma' which costs ₹ 16 crore for one dose and is labelled as the world's most expensive drug.
But the unimaginable&nbsp;has happened. With the generosity of over 2 lakh people, there is hope that Dhairya will live. The parents have raised 16 crores in small donations from over 2.6 lakh people in just 42 days hanks to the crowdfunding platform ImpactGuru, NDTV has reported.
Doctors at Mumbai's PD Hinduja Hospital, who are treating Dhairya, said, "The disease is found in one child out of 8-10,000 children. If not treated in time, there is a great risk to the life of the child."

India recorded its deadliest Covid day on Friday with over 4,000 deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The country recorded 4,187 deaths in the la

India recorded its deadliest Covid day on Friday with over 4,000 deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The country recorded 4,187 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the data released by the health ministry on Saturday morning.
India is the third country after the United States and Brazil to have recorded over 4,000 deaths in a single day. Total number of deaths due to the virus now stands at&nbsp;2,38,270.&nbsp;
Continuing with an alarming rise in Covid&nbsp;infections, India recorded over 4 lakh&nbsp;new cases in 24 hours. This is the third straight day and fourth in a week that India has logged over 4 lakh&nbsp;cases.&nbsp;
The number of active Covid&nbsp;cases in the country has gone past 37. 23 lakh.

No rethink on sovereign bond issue: FM

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Cases and deaths quadruple in rural India during second Covid-19 wave

9,02,291 Covid-19 patients on Oxygen across India: Centre

Rahul questions 5% GST on Covid-19 vaccines

Allow states to have own apps for Covid-19 vaccination: Maharashtra CM

Covid-19: Supreme Court forms National Task Force to tackle Oxygen crisis

MP: Bhopal crematorium gives refuge to kin of deceased Covid-19 patients

Lancet: Modi govt was busy removing criticism instead of Covid-19

Farmers take out protest marches in Punjab against weekend lockdown

Don't arrest unless necessary: SC on overcrowding in prisons during Covid

Now, Covid +ve report not mandatory for hospital admission

PM Modi dials 4 CMs to discuss Covid situation in states

DRDO's anti-Covid oral drug gets emergency use approval

India’s Cadila Healthcare eyes approval for Covid-19 vaccine by June

'Can vaccinate Delhi in 3 months if...': Arvind Kejriwal's math

Explainer: What is Black Fungus Infection that may cause blindness after Covid?

Pappu Yadav Vs Rajeev Rudy over unused ambulances in Bihar's Saran

UK labels Indian Covid strain a 'variant of concern'

Covid-19 surge: 2-week lockdown in Tamil Nadu from May 10

5-month-old needs most expensive drug, people donate 16 crore

India logs record deaths, over 4 lakh new Covid cases

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