Coronavirus | Urban slum population most vulnerable to COVID-19 spread: ICMR
“The ICMR has calculated that compared to rural areas, the risk of spread was 1.09 times higher in urban areas and 1.89 times higher in urban slums. The infection fatality rate is very low at 0.08%,’’ ICMR Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava said at a press meet.
Chief Economic Advisor flags uncertainty over economic recovery
Economic growth this year will depend on when recovery begins, as it is now uncertain whether it will happen in the second half of the year or will be delayed to the next financial year, Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian has said.
Right to reservation is not a fundamental right, observes SC judge as parties withdraw plea for OBC quota
Parties across Tamil Nadu’s political spectrum seeking a direction to the Centre to implement 50% reservation for Backward Classes in the State in All India Quota seats for medical and dental course, withdrew their petitions from the Supreme Court on Thursday. A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao observed: “Right to reservation is not a fundamental right... Do you want us to dismiss this or we can otherwise permit you to withdraw...”
India lifts export ban on hydroxychloroquine
India has lifted export ban on hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a potential “game changer” in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is nothing to hide with regard to COVID-19 deaths, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister says
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami denied allegations of discrepancies in COVID-19 death reports and said that there was nothing to hide with regard to the deaths.
Government actively considering universal basic income, NHRC tells U.N.
In its report on human rights in India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has informed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the recommended implementation of a universal basic income was “under examination and active consideration” of the Centre.
India reiterates civilisational ties with Nepal
The official spokesperson of the ministry Anurag Srivastava however refused to respond to Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's comments condemning UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent comparison between Nepal and Tibet and highlighted India's humanitarian assistance to Nepal.
Virus, outdated census method mar Gujarat’s lion numbers
An outdated methodology and the true mortality from a virus affecting India’s lions dent the credibility of the Gujarat government’s claims on its lion population. In a press statement on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted results of the 2020 Asiatic Lion Census that put the number of lions at 674, a 28% rise from 2015 and which is a similar rise from 2010.
Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ jumps on fears of coronavirus resurgence
The Cboe Volatility Index , known as Wall Street's “fear gauge,” jumped to its highest level in more than a month on June 11 as concerns over a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic felled U.S. stocks.
Indian-origin doctor in U.S. performs double lung transplant for coronavirus survivor
The Chicago patient is in her twenties and was on a ventilator and heart-lung machine for almost two months before her operation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The 10-hour procedure was challenging because the virus had left her lungs full of holes and almost fused to the chest wall, said Dr. Ankit Bharat, who performed the operation.
ATM cash withdrawals halved in April
Cash withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by 50% in value from the preceding month in April — the first full month of the nationwide lockdown.
