New COVID-19 cases in India cross the 800/day mark

Even as discussions about the continuation of the national lockdown continues, India has seen a record number of new COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours. According to various crowd-sourced data sources, a total of 809 new cases of Coronavirus infections were reported in the last 24 hours (official confirmation expected today afternoon). This is […]

Center waives need for prior approval in Essential Commodities Act

The central government has temporarily waived the need for states to seek its agreement for issuing orders under the Essential Commodities Act. With this, state governments can issue orders and directions under the act without first seeking the approval of the center till June 30. The Essential Commodities Act, passed in 1955, seeks to ensure […]

L&T to provide network monitoring for Indian Army

Construction firm Larsen & Toubro said it has won a large deal — worth Rs 2,500-5,000 cr — to create a monitoring and management solution for Indian Army’s pan-India fiber-optic communications network. The network, part of India’s network for spectrum project, was envisioned almost ten years ago as a way for the armed forces to […]

RISING COVID-19 CASES: Is India’s lock-down a total failure?

The first case of COVID-19 in India was reported 67 days ago on January 30 in Kerala. It was only after 55 days that India imposed a countrywide lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading. In those 55 days, the Coronavirus infected around 500 people — at an average rate of 9 new infections per […]

Supreme Court asks Karnataka to allow goods flow to Kerala

Supreme Court of India today refused to stay an order by Kerala High Court directing Karnataka to open all its roads to Kerala for essential traffic. Karnataka had, a week ago, closed all the major roads from Kasargode district in Kerala — a major Coronavirus hotspot with around 150 COVID-19 cases. Karnataka government dumped truckloads […]

Kerala High Court stays order to provide alcohol to addicts

Kerala High Court has stayed a government of Kerala order allowing the sales of alcohol to anyone who produces a doctor’s prescription for the same. A civil supplies department official had issued directions to liquor dispensing agencies instructing them to provide liquor in case a person came with a doctor’s prescription for the same. At […]

LIVE TABLE – CORONAVIRUS CASES IN INDIA: Maharashtra in front; UP, TN grows

Maharashtra has emerged as the lead state in India as far as Coronavirus infections are concerned, going by an analysis of the details of state-wise COVID-19 cases in India (see table). While the numbers are changing every hour, as of April 3 Friday, Maharashtra continued to remain on the top with 423 cases and 21 […]

Employers instigate migrant laborers to protest in Kerala

A day after Uttar Pradesh government sent dozens of buses to transport migrant workers from Delhi to their hometowns, migrant workers in Kerala defied the Coronavirus lockdown to hold a massive protest in Payippad in Changanassery in Kerala. Hundreds of outstation workers belonging to states like Assam, West Bengal, Orissa and nearby regions came out […]

LOCKDOWN: Inquiry ordered against IPS officer for ‘demeaning’ punishment

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the state government will not condone any behavior by police officers that crosses the line of acceptable and civil behavior, after a video of an IPS officer administering a ‘traditional punishment’ came up. The traditional punishment, known as ‘ethamidal’ in Malayalam, used to be quite popular during feudal era […]

Man commits suicide after wine shops shut in coronavirus lockdown

A 38-year-old man from Kunnamkulam in Kerala reportedly committed suicide on the third day of the pan-India Coronavirus shutdown in Kerala because he could not get his daily dose of alcohol. Sanoj, a resident of Thuvanoor near Kunnamkulam was found dead today morning. According to the statements of his relatives, he was showing signs of […]

CORONAVIRUS: Superstar Mohanlal calls for magical clapping

Malayalam Superstar Mohanlal expressed frustration at the high number of people who are refusing to heed government’s instructions on combating Coronavirus, and compared community clapping to magic that can destroy bacteria and viruses. “It won’t do to just say that we are not used to [such restrictions],” Mohanlal said in an interview with Malayalam channel […]

Center refuses to intervene in blocking of Andhra news channels

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar today refused to intervene in the alleged blocking of news channels critical of the state government of Andhra Pradesh. The unofficial ban on two news Telugu news channels — TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyothi — in the coastal state, allegedly for being critical of the YSRCP government — has […]