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In a bid to help protect browsing history and search activities of its users from others to see, Google will now let them password-protect the page that shows their searches. 
 
Whenever people use a Google device or product (Android smartphone or Chrome browser), their activity history is stored and is available for them to review via the `My Activity; feature. 
 
Now, "if you turn on extra verification, Google will make sure it`s really you before you can see or delete your full history on My Activity," the company said in an update. 
 
"This can help keep your history safer on shared devices. This setting only applies to My Activity. Your history may still appear in other Google products," the company added. 
 
To strengthen your privacy on shared devices, you can choose to require an extra verification step to view your full history on My Activity. 
 
To activate the verification, go to activity.google.com and click the Manage My Activity verification link. 
 
According to Android Police, once turned on, "the feature will ask you to verify your identity before showing your history". 
 
"What this actually does is simply take you to the regular Google sign-in page, allowing you to either enter your password or connect using your Android device if you`ve set that up," the report mentioned.

In a bid to help protect browsing history and search activities of its users from others to see, Google will now let them password-protect the page that shows their searches.

In a bid to help protect browsing history and search activities of its users from others to see, Google will now let them password-protect the page that shows their searches. Whenever people use a Google device or product (Android smartphone or Chrome browser), their activity history is stored and is available for them to review via the `My Activity; feature. Now, "if you turn on extra verification, Google will make sure it`s really you before you can see or delete your full history on My Activity," the company said in an update. "This can help keep your history safer on shared devices. This setting only applies to My Activity. Your history may still appear in other Google products," the company added. To strengthen your privacy on shared devices, you can choose to require an extra verification step to view your full history on My Activity. To activate the verification, go to activity.google.com and click the Manage My Activity verification link. According to Android Police, once turned on, "the feature will ask you to verify your identity before showing your history". "What this actually does is simply take you to the regular Google sign-in page, allowing you to either enter your password or connect using your Android device if you`ve set that up," the report mentioned.

Now password-protect Google page that reflects your searches

India's external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, the first-ever physical meeting between the two&nbsp;after India took the non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council earlier this year.

During the talks&nbsp;at United Nations headquarters,&nbsp;the key focus was India's presidency of the council in the month of August during which India will be leading a number of events on maritime security, technology, and peacekeeping.&nbsp;

A tweet statement by EAM said that he, "highlighted India's constructive role in UNSC and conveyed priorities of our presidency in August."

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A warm &amp; comprehensive meeting with UN Secretary General <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@antonioguterres</a>. 
 
Discussed the Covid challenge,underlining the importance of finding urgent&amp;effective global vaccine solutions.Critical to ramp up the vaccine supply chain to ensure greater production&amp;fairer distribution <a href="https://t.co/fDAwTyNCRt">pic.twitter.com/fDAwTyNCRt</a>
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1397218262283427844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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During the same meet, UN SG lauded Indian UN Peacekeepers' role in Congo over the weekend in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption.&nbsp;

Indian Army personnel are part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and played a key role in safeguarding civilians and UN assets.&nbsp;

India is also working with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for the development of a mobile tech platform – UNITE AWARE will be launched during India's August presidency.

It will increase situational awareness and provides terrain-related information to peacekeepers, with India contributing $1.64 million towards the project.

During the meeting, EAM conveyed to António Guterres that India will back him for his re-election for a second term as the UN Secretary-General.&nbsp;

Elections will take place later this year to choose the tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations whose tenure will begin from January 1 next year.

The meeting expectedly saw a focus on the Covid crisis, with EAM appreciating the efforts of the Secretary-General to facilitate ‘Vaccines for All" and both sides discussing the need to ramp up global vaccine production through expanded supply chains.

EAM's tweet statement said, "Discussed the Covid challenge, underlining the importance of finding urgent &amp; effective global vaccine solutions".

There was a mention of the India South Africa proposal of Covid vaccine patent waiver, which has seen increased global support ever since US President Biden administration extended support for it.

Other key issues were climate change&nbsp;and two&nbsp;key regional issues - on Afghanistan and Myanmar.

On climate change, EAM apprised the Secretary-General on India’s efforts to meet its Paris commitments&nbsp;pointing out to its projects like the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

On Afghanistan, his statement said,"Shared our concerns about ensuring that the gains of the last two decades in Afghanistan are adequately protected."

India's external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, the first-ever physical meeting between the two after India took the non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council earlier this year.

India's external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, the first-ever physical meeting between the two after India took the non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council earlier this year. During the talks at United Nations headquarters, the key focus was India's presidency of the council in the month of August during which India will be leading a number of events on maritime security, technology, and peacekeeping. A tweet statement by EAM said that he, "highlighted India's constructive role in UNSC and conveyed priorities of our presidency in August." A warm & comprehensive meeting with UN Secretary General @antonioguterres. Discussed the Covid challenge,underlining the importance of finding urgent&effective global vaccine solutions.Critical to ramp up the vaccine supply chain to ensure greater production&fairer distribution pic.twitter.com/fDAwTyNCRt — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 25, 2021 × During the same meet, UN SG lauded Indian UN Peacekeepers' role in Congo over the weekend in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption. Indian Army personnel are part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and played a key role in safeguarding civilians and UN assets. India is also working with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for the development of a mobile tech platform – UNITE AWARE will be launched during India's August presidency. It will increase situational awareness and provides terrain-related information to peacekeepers, with India contributing $1.64 million towards the project. During the meeting, EAM conveyed to António Guterres that India will back him for his re-election for a second term as the UN Secretary-General. Elections will take place later this year to choose the tenth Secretary-General of the United Nations whose tenure will begin from January 1 next year. The meeting expectedly saw a focus on the Covid crisis, with EAM appreciating the efforts of the Secretary-General to facilitate ‘Vaccines for All" and both sides discussing the need to ramp up global vaccine production through expanded supply chains. EAM's tweet statement said, "Discussed the Covid challenge, underlining the importance of finding urgent & effective global vaccine solutions". There was a mention of the India South Africa proposal of Covid vaccine patent waiver, which has seen increased global support ever since US President Biden administration extended support for it. Other key issues were climate change and two key regional issues - on Afghanistan and Myanmar. On climate change, EAM apprised the Secretary-General on India’s efforts to meet its Paris commitments pointing out to its projects like the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. On Afghanistan, his statement said,"Shared our concerns about ensuring that the gains of the last two decades in Afghanistan are adequately protected."

Jaishankar discusses India's August UNSC presidency with UN chief

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday.

However, three people swam to safety, police sources said here.

The victims were tribal migrant workers returning to their village Konduguda in Odisha from Hyderabad.

In all, some 35 people started in five country boats in the Sileru river.

Some of them safely reached their destination.

They chose the river route given the ongoing Covid curfew in the state.

A search operation has been launched to trace the victims.

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday.

A child died and seven others belonging to Odisha went missing in the Sileru river here when two country boats they were travelling in capsized early on Tuesday. However, three people swam to safety, police sources said here. The victims were tribal migrant workers returning to their village Konduguda in Odisha from Hyderabad. In all, some 35 people started in five country boats in the Sileru river. Some of them safely reached their destination. They chose the river route given the ongoing Covid curfew in the state. A search operation has been launched to trace the victims.

One dead, 7 missing as country boats capsize in a river in Andhra Pradesh

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday held a review meeting through video conferencing with administrators from States and Union Territories (UTs) on the progress of COVID-19 vaccination and modifications on the CoWIN software that will provide more flexibility to vaccine administrators.

In the meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, a detailed presentation was done on the progress of the countrywide vaccination drive, with focus on states or UTs that are lagging behind in providing coverage to the vulnerable population groups.

The scope to substantially speed up vaccination in this category was stressed, an official statement said.While the States have been urged repeatedly to keep vaccine wastage below 1 per cent, many States such as Jharkhand (37.3 per cent), Chhattisgarh (30.2 per cent), Tamil Nadu (15.5 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (10.8 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (10.7 per cent) are reporting much higher wastage than the national average which is 6.3 per cent, the ministry said.

The Union Health Secretary urged the States or UTs to make complete use of the available flexibilities on CoWin to enhance the pace of vaccination drive.States were advised to plan for scaling up of the vaccination coverage through available stocks and anticipated supplies till the end of June.

"States or UTs were advised to prepare a district-wise, COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC)-wise plan for the administration of COVID-19 vaccine till June 15 and use multiple media platforms for dissemination of such a plan. They were also advised to prepare and quickly implement a decentralised communication strategy to address vaccine hesitancy in rural, tribal or hard-to-reach areas," the statement said.

The meeting noted that lactating women amongst Health Care Workers and Front Line Workers who have not received vaccination are to be prioritised for vaccination.The States or UTs were advised to make proactive efforts for engagement of private sector hospitals in COVID-19 vaccination and ensure monitoring of pace of vaccination and strict adherence to SOPs of COVID-19 vaccination shared by the Centre.

In the meeting, it was reemphasised that both government and private CVCs are required to publish their calendar on CoWIN in advance and should desist from publishing single day calendars to ensure that there is no overcrowding at the CVCs and the process of booking appointments on CoWIN is also hassle-free.

The Additional Health Secretary highlighted the new features and functionalities of CoWIN digital platform. Informing about the CVC management, the official said that the minimum age can now be set to any value from 18 to 44 years.

States were also informed that Sputnik has now been added to the CoWIN portal.Another flexibility added on the CoWIN platform is that there will be the provision for separate sessions for people between 18 to 44 years and for people above 45 years. "Sessions can now be rescheduled instead of cancellation while recording the reason for the same," the release said.As per the Ministry, a total of 19,85,38,999 vaccine doses have been administered through 28,41,151 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday held a review meeting through video conferencing with administrators from States and Union Territories (UTs) on the progress of COVID-19 vaccination and modifications on the CoWIN software that will provide more flexibility to vaccine administrators.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday held a review meeting through video conferencing with administrators from States and Union Territories (UTs) on the progress of COVID-19 vaccination and modifications on the CoWIN software that will provide more flexibility to vaccine administrators. In the meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, a detailed presentation was done on the progress of the countrywide vaccination drive, with focus on states or UTs that are lagging behind in providing coverage to the vulnerable population groups. The scope to substantially speed up vaccination in this category was stressed, an official statement said.While the States have been urged repeatedly to keep vaccine wastage below 1 per cent, many States such as Jharkhand (37.3 per cent), Chhattisgarh (30.2 per cent), Tamil Nadu (15.5 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (10.8 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (10.7 per cent) are reporting much higher wastage than the national average which is 6.3 per cent, the ministry said. The Union Health Secretary urged the States or UTs to make complete use of the available flexibilities on CoWin to enhance the pace of vaccination drive.States were advised to plan for scaling up of the vaccination coverage through available stocks and anticipated supplies till the end of June. "States or UTs were advised to prepare a district-wise, COVID Vaccination Centre (CVC)-wise plan for the administration of COVID-19 vaccine till June 15 and use multiple media platforms for dissemination of such a plan. They were also advised to prepare and quickly implement a decentralised communication strategy to address vaccine hesitancy in rural, tribal or hard-to-reach areas," the statement said. The meeting noted that lactating women amongst Health Care Workers and Front Line Workers who have not received vaccination are to be prioritised for vaccination.The States or UTs were advised to make proactive efforts for engagement of private sector hospitals in COVID-19 vaccination and ensure monitoring of pace of vaccination and strict adherence to SOPs of COVID-19 vaccination shared by the Centre. In the meeting, it was reemphasised that both government and private CVCs are required to publish their calendar on CoWIN in advance and should desist from publishing single day calendars to ensure that there is no overcrowding at the CVCs and the process of booking appointments on CoWIN is also hassle-free. The Additional Health Secretary highlighted the new features and functionalities of CoWIN digital platform. Informing about the CVC management, the official said that the minimum age can now be set to any value from 18 to 44 years. States were also informed that Sputnik has now been added to the CoWIN portal.Another flexibility added on the CoWIN platform is that there will be the provision for separate sessions for people between 18 to 44 years and for people above 45 years. "Sessions can now be rescheduled instead of cancellation while recording the reason for the same," the release said.As per the Ministry, a total of 19,85,38,999 vaccine doses have been administered through 28,41,151 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.

Centre reviews progress of Covid vaccination with states and UTs

In an exclusive interview to WION, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne on Tuesday said that there is no reliable information that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has fled the country. “We have no reliable information, that he has fled the country, even though there is speculation to that effect”, Browne told WION.

Choksi is wanted by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Choksi and Nirav Modi, who is his nephew and fellow diamantaire&nbsp;are the key people accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of $2 billion.

Speaking to WION’s Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Gaston Browne said that a missing persons report has been put out locally, which “is now being shared with Interpol". Choksi has been missing from the country for over 24 hours.

Gaston Browne told WION that Choksi “had two matters before the courts of Antigua and Barbuda”. One pertained to the revocation of his citizenship and the other about extradition back to India. “He recently asked the case to be expedited and also switched attorney. He recently contracted the services of one&nbsp;Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC, a well-known and celebrated criminal lawyer in the UK”, he added.

“Our&nbsp;STRATCOM has actually issued a missing person report and that report is being shared with Interpol”, he further said. Browne also added that India has put out a “red notice” if Choksi has indeed fled to another country.

&nbsp;“A green notice will be placed internationally for Mehul Choksi as a missing person and that will complement the red notice that has been already issued by government of India”, Browne told WION.

“We feel confident that he will be extradited but as you know the law is such that we have to allow the due process after that he would be expedited his case, exhausted all of his appeals then we will take action to have him extradited”, Browne added.

In an exclusive interview to WION, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne on Tuesday said that there is no reliable information that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has fled the country.

In an exclusive interview to WION, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne on Tuesday said that there is no reliable information that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi has fled the country. “We have no reliable information, that he has fled the country, even though there is speculation to that effect”, Browne told WION. Choksi is wanted by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Choksi and Nirav Modi, who is his nephew and fellow diamantaire are the key people accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of $2 billion. Speaking to WION’s Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Gaston Browne said that a missing persons report has been put out locally, which “is now being shared with Interpol". Choksi has been missing from the country for over 24 hours. Gaston Browne told WION that Choksi “had two matters before the courts of Antigua and Barbuda”. One pertained to the revocation of his citizenship and the other about extradition back to India. “He recently asked the case to be expedited and also switched attorney. He recently contracted the services of one Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC, a well-known and celebrated criminal lawyer in the UK”, he added. “Our STRATCOM has actually issued a missing person report and that report is being shared with Interpol”, he further said. Browne also added that India has put out a “red notice” if Choksi has indeed fled to another country. “A green notice will be placed internationally for Mehul Choksi as a missing person and that will complement the red notice that has been already issued by government of India”, Browne told WION. “We feel confident that he will be extradited but as you know the law is such that we have to allow the due process after that he would be expedited his case, exhausted all of his appeals then we will take action to have him extradited”, Browne added.

WION Exclusive: No reliable information on Mehul Choksi fleeing the country, says Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Gaston Browne

The third wave of COVID-19 is predicted to hit India later this year. WION tells you how the country is preparing for the deadly third wave and will this wave hit children?

COVID-19 third wave to hit India later this year; Will third wave hit children?

The rising cases of COVID-19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has put the state administration on tenterhooks. The health department in the Valley has started an aggressive&nbsp;vaccination drive across Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir is among the leading regions in the country in the vaccination of people above the age of 45.

Around 66 per cent&nbsp;of people above the age of 45 have been vaccinated&nbsp;which is well above the national average of 32 per cent. Within J&amp;K, four&nbsp;districts - Ganderbal, Jammu, Samba, and Shopian, have achieved 100 per cent&nbsp;coverage in this category.

South Kashmir's Shopian is among the first districts to have achieved 100 per cent vaccination of people above the age of 45.&nbsp;

“I want to thank the people of the district, our administration and doctors did a great job. The target we had was to vaccinate people above the age of 45, we have vaccinated 59,818 people and have achieved this. It's the first district in the UT to have fully vaccinated people in that age bracket. The first dose among this age group has achieved a 100 per cent target. We are giving a second dose now to people,'' said&nbsp;Dr Arshid Tak,&nbsp;CMO Shopian.

In Srinagar city, 50 new vaccination centres were established out of which 35 centres started the operations from today.

Every vaccination centre has been provided with 500 doses. These vaccines are to be given to people in the age group of 18-44. Shopkeepers, vendors, journalists were&nbsp;given preferences at these centres.&nbsp;

“It's a special drive to cover the age group of 18-44 years who are more vulnerable. Preferably shopkeepers, vendors&nbsp;and otherwise also&nbsp;we are covering the Lal Chowk area and we have 500 doses. We are seeing people coming&nbsp;and they are enthusiastic,&nbsp;“ said&nbsp;Dr Shameen, health department.&nbsp;

The government has recently adopted a strategy to establish five-bedded COVID-19 care facilities with at least one&nbsp;oxygen supported bed at approximately 4,000 panchayats.

Additionally, 33,000 COVID-19 care medical kits have been distributed for usage by patients in home isolation.

The rising cases of COVID-19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has put the state administration on tenterhooks. The health department in the Valley has started an aggressive vaccination drive across Jammu and Kashmir.

The rising cases of COVID-19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has put the state administration on tenterhooks. The health department in the Valley has started an aggressive vaccination drive across Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is among the leading regions in the country in the vaccination of people above the age of 45. Around 66 per cent of people above the age of 45 have been vaccinated which is well above the national average of 32 per cent. Within J&K, four districts - Ganderbal, Jammu, Samba, and Shopian, have achieved 100 per cent coverage in this category. South Kashmir's Shopian is among the first districts to have achieved 100 per cent vaccination of people above the age of 45. “I want to thank the people of the district, our administration and doctors did a great job. The target we had was to vaccinate people above the age of 45, we have vaccinated 59,818 people and have achieved this. It's the first district in the UT to have fully vaccinated people in that age bracket. The first dose among this age group has achieved a 100 per cent target. We are giving a second dose now to people,'' said Dr Arshid Tak, CMO Shopian. In Srinagar city, 50 new vaccination centres were established out of which 35 centres started the operations from today. Every vaccination centre has been provided with 500 doses. These vaccines are to be given to people in the age group of 18-44. Shopkeepers, vendors, journalists were given preferences at these centres. “It's a special drive to cover the age group of 18-44 years who are more vulnerable. Preferably shopkeepers, vendors and otherwise also we are covering the Lal Chowk area and we have 500 doses. We are seeing people coming and they are enthusiastic, “ said Dr Shameen, health department. The government has recently adopted a strategy to establish five-bedded COVID-19 care facilities with at least one oxygen supported bed at approximately 4,000 panchayats. Additionally, 33,000 COVID-19 care medical kits have been distributed for usage by patients in home isolation.

J&K: Shopian one of first districts to achieve 100% vaccination among people above 45

Tensions remain high between the Government of India and Twitter after Delhi Police raided Twitter's offices in Delhi and Gurgaon to serve a notice based on a complaint about why a tweet by the spokesperson of the ruling BJP was tagged as 'manipulated media'.

Tensions high between Indian govt and Twitter

To address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble-burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation, the Ministry of Power on Tuesday decided to set up a National Mission on the use of biomass in coal-based thermal power plants.

Biomass refers to renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals, such as wood, energy crops, waste from forests or farms.

The ministry said this would further support the energy transition in the country and our targets to move towards cleaner energy sources.

According to the Ministry of Power, the objective of the "National Mission on use of biomass in thermal power plants" will be to increase the level of co-firing from the present 5 per cent to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon-neutral power generation from the thermal power plants, to take up R&amp;D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets, to facilitate overcoming the constraints in the supply chain of biomass pellets and agro-residue and its transport up to the power plants and to consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

"The modalities of operation and structure of the Nation Mission are under finalization. It is being envisaged that the Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by Secretary (Power) comprising of all stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of New &amp; Renewable Energy (MNRE), etc.," it said.

It further said the Executive Committee would be headed by Member (Thermal), CEA. NTPC will play a larger role in providing logistic and infrastructure support in the proposed National Mission.

"The Mission would have full-time officers from CEA, NTPC, DVC and NLC or other participating organizations. The duration of the proposed National Mission would be a minimum of 5 years," it added.

The ministry has also formed five Sub-Groups under the Mission.

Sub-Group 1 will be responsible to research properties/ characteristics of biomass, Sub-Group 2 will carry out technical specification and safety aspects including research in boiler design, etc. to handle the pilot project for the higher amount of co-firing of biomass with coal in pulverized coal (PC) fired boilers.

Furthermore, Sub-Group 3 is for resolving the issues of the supply chain during the mission period and sensitization programme, Sub-Group 4 to select designated labs and certification bodies for the testing of agro-based biomass pellets and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) pellets and Sub-Group 5 will be formed on regulatory framework and economics of biomass co-firing in coal-based thermal power plants.

The proposed National Mission on biomass will also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

To address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble-burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation, the Ministry of Power on Tuesday decided to set up a National Mission on the use of biomass in coal-based thermal power plants.

To address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble-burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation, the Ministry of Power on Tuesday decided to set up a National Mission on the use of biomass in coal-based thermal power plants. Biomass refers to renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals, such as wood, energy crops, waste from forests or farms. The ministry said this would further support the energy transition in the country and our targets to move towards cleaner energy sources. According to the Ministry of Power, the objective of the "National Mission on use of biomass in thermal power plants" will be to increase the level of co-firing from the present 5 per cent to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon-neutral power generation from the thermal power plants, to take up R&D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets, to facilitate overcoming the constraints in the supply chain of biomass pellets and agro-residue and its transport up to the power plants and to consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing. "The modalities of operation and structure of the Nation Mission are under finalization. It is being envisaged that the Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by Secretary (Power) comprising of all stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), etc.," it said. It further said the Executive Committee would be headed by Member (Thermal), CEA. NTPC will play a larger role in providing logistic and infrastructure support in the proposed National Mission. "The Mission would have full-time officers from CEA, NTPC, DVC and NLC or other participating organizations. The duration of the proposed National Mission would be a minimum of 5 years," it added. The ministry has also formed five Sub-Groups under the Mission. Sub-Group 1 will be responsible to research properties/ characteristics of biomass, Sub-Group 2 will carry out technical specification and safety aspects including research in boiler design, etc. to handle the pilot project for the higher amount of co-firing of biomass with coal in pulverized coal (PC) fired boilers. Furthermore, Sub-Group 3 is for resolving the issues of the supply chain during the mission period and sensitization programme, Sub-Group 4 to select designated labs and certification bodies for the testing of agro-based biomass pellets and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) pellets and Sub-Group 5 will be formed on regulatory framework and economics of biomass co-firing in coal-based thermal power plants. The proposed National Mission on biomass will also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme. (With inputs from agencies)

India to set up national mission on using biomass in coal-based thermal power plants

Amid the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-lockdown-in-delhi-extended-by-another-week-unlock-likely-from-may-31-386850">pandemic</a> in India with the second wave&nbsp;of COVID-19 continuing in several parts of the country, the Indian government will be deciding on whether or not to conduct the CBSE class 12th examinations across the country by June 1.

Watch:

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India's defence minister Rajnath Singh had chaired a key meeting with the education ministers of all states on Sunday. During the discussion, the option of holding exams in 19 major subjects was discussed.

The possibility to conduct a 90-minute exam for major subjects in schools was also reviewed, according to reports.

While several states agreed in principle to hold exams, few including the national capital Delhi have opposed the Centre's decision to conduct the exams.

However, states like Karnataka have argued that the exams are "crucial and an alternative assessment will not be able to do justice to the students."

Before the final announcement, the states have been asked to provide their views by May 25.

Last year, over 1.2 million students appeared for class 12 CBSE board exams. It is one of the largest examinations held in the country which forms the basis for university admissions across several disciplines.

The Indian government’s decision to conduct the board exams comes at a time when the third wave of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-reports-240842-new-cases-of-covid-19-in-last-24-hours-386823">coronavirus</a> is predicted to impact children as students and parents fear for safety.

While many have argued that exams are crucial and an alternative assessment will not be able to do justice, others believe that the well being of students and teachers should be a priority in the current situation.

Amid the deadly pandemic in India with the second wave of COVID-19 continuing in several parts of the country, the Indian government will be deciding on whether or not to conduct the CBSE class 12th examinations across the country by June 1.

Amid the deadly pandemic in India with the second wave of COVID-19 continuing in several parts of the country, the Indian government will be deciding on whether or not to conduct the CBSE class 12th examinations across the country by June 1. Watch: India's defence minister Rajnath Singh had chaired a key meeting with the education ministers of all states on Sunday. During the discussion, the option of holding exams in 19 major subjects was discussed. The possibility to conduct a 90-minute exam for major subjects in schools was also reviewed, according to reports. While several states agreed in principle to hold exams, few including the national capital Delhi have opposed the Centre's decision to conduct the exams. However, states like Karnataka have argued that the exams are "crucial and an alternative assessment will not be able to do justice to the students." Before the final announcement, the states have been asked to provide their views by May 25. Last year, over 1.2 million students appeared for class 12 CBSE board exams. It is one of the largest examinations held in the country which forms the basis for university admissions across several disciplines. The Indian government’s decision to conduct the board exams comes at a time when the third wave of coronavirus is predicted to impact children as students and parents fear for safety. While many have argued that exams are crucial and an alternative assessment will not be able to do justice, others believe that the well being of students and teachers should be a priority in the current situation.

COVID-19: Students await Indian government's decision on CBSE class 12 board exams

With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it. 
 
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had asked the social media platform to abide by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 25, or face strict action. A Facebook spokesperson said that the company is putting operational processes in place to meet the new IT rules. 
 
"We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government," a company spokesperson said in a statement. 
 
"Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people`s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform," the spokesperson added. 
 
Twitter was yet to speak officially on the May 25 deadline. 
 
The MeitY had announced it's draft new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules for social media platforms on February 25. 
 
As per the new rules, social media platforms will have to remove offending content within 36 hours after a government directive or a legal order. 
 
The new rules mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving/resolving complaints from the users or victims. 
 
Only homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo has met the compliance requirements of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021. 
 
Koo said it has also implemented due diligence and grievance redressal mechanism supported by an Indian resident Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Officer and Grievance Officer. 
 
"Complying with the new social media guidelines published by the government of India within time clearly shows why it`s important to have Indian social media players thriving in the country," said Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO of Koo.

With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it.

With the deadline to comply with the new IT rules meant for big social media platforms in India ending on Tuesday, Facebook said that the company aims to comply with the provisions of the new intermediary guidelines and is working towards it. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had asked the social media platform to abide by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 by May 25, or face strict action. A Facebook spokesperson said that the company is putting operational processes in place to meet the new IT rules. "We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "Pursuant to the IT rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people`s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform," the spokesperson added. Twitter was yet to speak officially on the May 25 deadline. The MeitY had announced it's draft new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules for social media platforms on February 25. As per the new rules, social media platforms will have to remove offending content within 36 hours after a government directive or a legal order. The new rules mandate that the intermediaries, including social media intermediaries, must establish a grievance redressal mechanism for receiving/resolving complaints from the users or victims. Only homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo has met the compliance requirements of the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2021. Koo said it has also implemented due diligence and grievance redressal mechanism supported by an Indian resident Chief Compliance Officer, Nodal Officer and Grievance Officer. "Complying with the new social media guidelines published by the government of India within time clearly shows why it`s important to have Indian social media players thriving in the country," said Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder and CEO of Koo.

Working hard to meet Indian IT rules for social media: Facebook

India's pandemic death toll crossed 300,000 on Monday. It took less than a month for India to add 100,000&nbsp;deaths.

Although&nbsp;new infections have been dropping, the daily death toll still hasn't gone down. In the last 24 hours, India reported close to 4,500 deaths, which is the second-highest daily death toll for India.

Watch:

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The highest was last week, with over 4,500 fatalities.&nbsp;As for daily infections, the fall is clear and significant. India has reported less than 250,000 new cases in a day, which is the lowest since April 15, and active cases have dropped below three million.

More than 300,000 people recovered on Sunday and over 23 million people have done so since last year, so India has reported more recoveries than new infections.

However, there have been new complications - fungal infections. After black fungus and&nbsp;white fungus, new cases of yellow fungus have emerged.

The yellow fungus cases were reported today. Black fungus has been declared an epidemic in India, with hundreds of patients and a shortage of drugs to treat them.

Then a deadlier white fungus was found in Bihar with four cases reported last week and now, in Uttar Pradesh, doctors have found yellow fungus.

It is a peculiar case as there has been one patient who has all three forms of fungal infection - black, white and yellow.

The yellow fungus is usually found in reptiles. The doctor treating the patient said they have never seen a patient with yellow fungus before.

Bad hygiene around the patient is believed to have caused it and the cure for it is reportedly the same treatment used for other such infections - amphotericin b injections.

This drug has now replaced oxygen and Remdisivir in SOS calls and there is a shortage.

Over the weekend, the Indian government allocated more than 20,000 vials of this drug to all states and Union Territories with five more manufacturers given a licence to make the drug.

India's pandemic death toll crossed 300,000 on Monday. It took less than a month for India to add 100,000 deaths. Although new infections have been dropping, the daily death toll still hasn't gone down.

India's pandemic death toll crossed 300,000 on Monday. It took less than a month for India to add 100,000 deaths. Although new infections have been dropping, the daily death toll still hasn't gone down. In the last 24 hours, India reported close to 4,500 deaths, which is the second-highest daily death toll for India. Watch: The highest was last week, with over 4,500 fatalities. As for daily infections, the fall is clear and significant. India has reported less than 250,000 new cases in a day, which is the lowest since April 15, and active cases have dropped below three million. More than 300,000 people recovered on Sunday and over 23 million people have done so since last year, so India has reported more recoveries than new infections. However, there have been new complications - fungal infections. After black fungus and white fungus, new cases of yellow fungus have emerged. The yellow fungus cases were reported today. Black fungus has been declared an epidemic in India, with hundreds of patients and a shortage of drugs to treat them. Then a deadlier white fungus was found in Bihar with four cases reported last week and now, in Uttar Pradesh, doctors have found yellow fungus. It is a peculiar case as there has been one patient who has all three forms of fungal infection - black, white and yellow. The yellow fungus is usually found in reptiles. The doctor treating the patient said they have never seen a patient with yellow fungus before. Bad hygiene around the patient is believed to have caused it and the cure for it is reportedly the same treatment used for other such infections - amphotericin b injections. This drug has now replaced oxygen and Remdisivir in SOS calls and there is a shortage. Over the weekend, the Indian government allocated more than 20,000 vials of this drug to all states and Union Territories with five more manufacturers given a licence to make the drug.

After black, white fungus, now yellow fungus discovered in India's Uttar Pradesh

When the Indian government allowed states to pursue their own vaccine procurement, the idea was welcomed.

States governments were quick to seize the moment. Some chief ministers announced global tenders to buy shots from the international market. Weeks later, they are complaining again.

Because companies like Pfizer and Moderna don't want to deal with them. They want to negotiate directly with the centre and set the terms.&nbsp;

So what do these vaccine majors need from India?

It's not just about the money. They want the kind of guarantees that India hasn't given any vaccine maker.

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Pfizer and Moderna are among the best shots on the international market. Both vaccines work on the same technology. They are more than 90 per cent effective. Together, they have been approved by more than 40 countries. India wants them too. But on its own terms.

The government has authorised states to negotiate for themselves. Global tenders were announced. But it proved to be a damp squib as vaccine makers refused to deal with state governments.

Punjab made request to Moderna, it was denied. Moderna says it will only deal with the central government.

The Delhi state government wrote to Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. It got the same reply. They will only deal with the Government of India.&nbsp;

Beyond the obvious need of approvals and clearances, these vaccine companies have their own demands.

For instance, Pfizer CEO claims that they have been trying to get Pfizer vaccines to India for months. But Pfizer wants indemnity, a legal exemption from future lawsuits over their vaccines. Countries like the US and Britain have signed such clauses.

It basically means that if the vaccine maker is sued in India, it will be the government's problem, not the company's. India has not given such indemnity to any vaccine producer. Why should Pfizer be the exception?

The discussion is still on between the company and the government. In the past, Pfizer has been accused of bullying Latin American countries. They demanded embassy buildings and military bases as guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases.

The other problem is supply. Rich countries have already taken most of the shots off the shelves. Reports say, Moderna has its hands full with the existing orders. It might not have more doses for India. According to a report in April, Moderna already had orders to supply more than 1,000 million doses. These are for countries like the US, the EU, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and others.

Moderna is planning a major expansion in manufacturing. But even with a global tender, India may have to wait in line for its deliveries.

States like, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have issued global tenders. But all of them are waiting for a bid.

When the Indian government allowed states to pursue their own vaccine procurement, the idea was welcomed. States governments were quick to seize the moment. Some chief ministers announced global tenders to buy shots from the international market.

When the Indian government allowed states to pursue their own vaccine procurement, the idea was welcomed. States governments were quick to seize the moment. Some chief ministers announced global tenders to buy shots from the international market. Weeks later, they are complaining again. Because companies like Pfizer and Moderna don't want to deal with them. They want to negotiate directly with the centre and set the terms. So what do these vaccine majors need from India? It's not just about the money. They want the kind of guarantees that India hasn't given any vaccine maker. × Pfizer and Moderna are among the best shots on the international market. Both vaccines work on the same technology. They are more than 90 per cent effective. Together, they have been approved by more than 40 countries. India wants them too. But on its own terms. The government has authorised states to negotiate for themselves. Global tenders were announced. But it proved to be a damp squib as vaccine makers refused to deal with state governments. Punjab made request to Moderna, it was denied. Moderna says it will only deal with the central government. The Delhi state government wrote to Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. It got the same reply. They will only deal with the Government of India. Beyond the obvious need of approvals and clearances, these vaccine companies have their own demands. For instance, Pfizer CEO claims that they have been trying to get Pfizer vaccines to India for months. But Pfizer wants indemnity, a legal exemption from future lawsuits over their vaccines. Countries like the US and Britain have signed such clauses. It basically means that if the vaccine maker is sued in India, it will be the government's problem, not the company's. India has not given such indemnity to any vaccine producer. Why should Pfizer be the exception? The discussion is still on between the company and the government. In the past, Pfizer has been accused of bullying Latin American countries. They demanded embassy buildings and military bases as guarantee against the cost of any future legal cases. The other problem is supply. Rich countries have already taken most of the shots off the shelves. Reports say, Moderna has its hands full with the existing orders. It might not have more doses for India. According to a report in April, Moderna already had orders to supply more than 1,000 million doses. These are for countries like the US, the EU, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and others. Moderna is planning a major expansion in manufacturing. But even with a global tender, India may have to wait in line for its deliveries. States like, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have issued global tenders. But all of them are waiting for a bid.

Pfizer and Moderna don't want to deal with Indian states for vaccines

There's no peace from the pandemic even though the second wave is slowly subsiding.

Another challenge has emerged - black fungus.

India has now been forced to declare the infection an epidemic. From reporting just a few cases last month, the situation has now turned serious.

The country must take precautions and prepare to fight&nbsp;it. The Wuhan virus cases may be falling but the black fungus cases have&nbsp;become a new cause of worry.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-black-fungus-declared-an-epidemic-in-india-386622">Watch |</a>

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The disease scientifically known as Mucormycosis is a complication associated with the virus. A few cases were reported in New Delhi last month with no loss of lives.

Since then, the infection has killed at least 219 people.&nbsp;The case count has reached 7,250 with infections reported in at least 13 states and Union Territories. The worst-hit are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Telangana.

The central government has directed all states to declare black fungus as an epidemic due to the scale of infections.

The health ministry has asked the states to list it under the epidemic diseases act 1897 which basically means that every single confirmed or suspected case will directly have to be reported to the Union Health ministry.

All hospitals - state and private - will have to follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis and management of cases.

However, several hospitals across India have reported a shortage of Amphotericin-b,&nbsp; the medicine which is key to curing the infection.

The centre says the shortage will be resolved soon. So far, six pharma companies were producing the drug. Now the Centre has given permission to five more manufacturers.

It has also placed orders to import 600,000 vials from abroad. The rising cases and shortages have caused alarm but it's important to understand that the fungus doesn't infect everyone.

So far, it is only being reported in some COVID-19 survivors. Doctors blame the panic use of steroids, which made it easier for the fungal infection to spread.

Mucormycosis is caused by a group of moulds called Mucormycetes. These moulds exist freely throughout the environment and people get infected when they come in contact or breathe in these fungal moulds.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),&nbsp; four kinds of people get the disease. Those who used steroids during their COVID-19 treatment and end up with lower immunity and those who had prolonged stays at hospital ICU and are yet to recover.

Also, those with diabetes or a history of kidney and heart failure, and those who are on medication for major health problems that reduce their ability to fight pathogens.

The symptoms include pain under the eyes, one-sided facial swelling, nasal or sinus congestion, black lesions on the nasal bridge, stuffy or bleeding nose, toothache or loosening of teeth and partial loss of vision.

Experts advise the following steps to protect individuals from the infection. The key is to wear a mask at all times, wear shoes, long trousers and preferably gloves if you step out into a park or for gardening and maintain personal hygiene including a thorough scrub bath.

As infections rise, India must focus on precaution and the judicious use of steroids including immediate treatment when the fungus is detected.

There's no peace from the pandemic even though the second wave is slowly subsiding. Another challenge has emerged - black fungus. India has now been forced to declare the infection an epidemic.

There's no peace from the pandemic even though the second wave is slowly subsiding. Another challenge has emerged - black fungus. India has now been forced to declare the infection an epidemic. From reporting just a few cases last month, the situation has now turned serious. The country must take precautions and prepare to fight it. The Wuhan virus cases may be falling but the black fungus cases have become a new cause of worry. Watch | The disease scientifically known as Mucormycosis is a complication associated with the virus. A few cases were reported in New Delhi last month with no loss of lives. Since then, the infection has killed at least 219 people. The case count has reached 7,250 with infections reported in at least 13 states and Union Territories. The worst-hit are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Telangana. The central government has directed all states to declare black fungus as an epidemic due to the scale of infections. The health ministry has asked the states to list it under the epidemic diseases act 1897 which basically means that every single confirmed or suspected case will directly have to be reported to the Union Health ministry. All hospitals - state and private - will have to follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis and management of cases. However, several hospitals across India have reported a shortage of Amphotericin-b, the medicine which is key to curing the infection. The centre says the shortage will be resolved soon. So far, six pharma companies were producing the drug. Now the Centre has given permission to five more manufacturers. It has also placed orders to import 600,000 vials from abroad. The rising cases and shortages have caused alarm but it's important to understand that the fungus doesn't infect everyone. So far, it is only being reported in some COVID-19 survivors. Doctors blame the panic use of steroids, which made it easier for the fungal infection to spread. Mucormycosis is caused by a group of moulds called Mucormycetes. These moulds exist freely throughout the environment and people get infected when they come in contact or breathe in these fungal moulds. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), four kinds of people get the disease. Those who used steroids during their COVID-19 treatment and end up with lower immunity and those who had prolonged stays at hospital ICU and are yet to recover. Also, those with diabetes or a history of kidney and heart failure, and those who are on medication for major health problems that reduce their ability to fight pathogens. The symptoms include pain under the eyes, one-sided facial swelling, nasal or sinus congestion, black lesions on the nasal bridge, stuffy or bleeding nose, toothache or loosening of teeth and partial loss of vision. Experts advise the following steps to protect individuals from the infection. The key is to wear a mask at all times, wear shoes, long trousers and preferably gloves if you step out into a park or for gardening and maintain personal hygiene including a thorough scrub bath. As infections rise, India must focus on precaution and the judicious use of steroids including immediate treatment when the fungus is detected.

Black fungus: Number of cases in India, symptoms & precaution

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry.

How does the chain of command work in India? Is there scope for improvement? And what about our weapons? Can they keep up with the rest of the world?

India's defence is split into three services: the Air Force, the Navy and the Army. They have their own headquarters, bases and leadership. It's been this way for decades.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-plan-for-joint-commands-386620">Watch |</a>

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But this system has drawbacks. There is a lot of duplication of work and unnecessary bureaucracy.

For example, Indian airspace is defended by all three services. They are tracking threats on separate frequencies with their own radars.

But every army headquarters is located next to an airbase. So two agencies are doing the same work sitting right next to each other. Talk about the wastage of resources and manpower.

If Army, during a combing operation, wants some air support, the in-charge calls up the Air Force.

The Air Force will then churn this request through its ranks. The problem here is clear. The person in charge of the operation does not have complete control over the assets.

This was the story every time India went to war. The Air Force had its own plan. And the Army was doing its own thing.

But modern war machines cannot function like this. And India is realising it. The defence establishment is moving towards what is called "theaterisation". This is how the US and China organise their forces.

In India, there's a talk of five commands - the northern command to deal with China, the western command on the Pakistan side,&nbsp;&nbsp;peninsula command in southern India, a&nbsp;maritime command to patrol the seas and an air defence command to protect the airspace.

So how is this different from the current set-up? The commands are unified establishments. This means the army the navy and the air force will function together under one command. No more shuttling between agencies for orders. All three services will answer to a single commander. In military circles they call this jointness and integration.

India cannot underestimate the&nbsp;mindset problem. The three services are used to autonomy. Both the air force and navy fear the army will dominate joint commands. This could lead to a turf war, a territorial battle for assets, funds and for influence.

The other big challenge is logistics. If you appoint a commander what happens to the chiefs of staff? Do the soldiers still report to them? Or will commanders take over operational control?

Same is the thing with assets. The air force only has 31 squadrons. Can they spread their assets wide enough to support every command? These are some of the big challenges to joint theatres.

The US has a tried and tested system.

But India cannot copy it. India's tri-service chief has ruled this out. Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat says India will develop its own system of joint theatres.

The military is tight-lipped about the plans. But reports say they should be operational by next year. Hopefully, this will solve the bottlenecks in decision making.

An army is only as good as the weapons it has. This is where India has struggled in the past with outdated weapons aircraft and ships. The only way to overhaul this is through defence spending. Now on paper, India is the third largest spender in the world behind the US and China.

A break-up of India's defence budget shows that&nbsp;50 per cent of the funds go to salaries and pensions. So at the start of every month, half the money is already gone. Where does that leave India's modernisation plans? These are figures from this year's budget. The total allocation was 4.78 trillion rupees.

After pensions, salaries and other expenses, 1.35 trillion rupees were left. Just 28 per cent of the total budget.

For a country with two belligerent neighbours, this is simply inadequate.

What are India's options?

One is to keep expanding the defence bill. But as this pandemic has shown, India needs to put more money in public health and infrastructure. So a big defence bill could be highly unpopular.

What about reforming pensions? Maybe extend the retirement age of officers? Every time someone suggests this, there is backlash from veterans. And the situation isn't getting any better. We need active deployments in the east and west. Which means more soldiers more salaries and more pensions. Where will the money come from?

A viable option is to trim the loose ends. Streamline acquisitions, cut down on duplication of work.

Right now, every service has its own wishlist. There is no synergy between them on acquisitions. The goal is to get them all together so that India's defence establishment has one wishlist not three.

All of this is easier said than done. The bureaucrats are sure to oppose a unified command. They hate being sidelined. Also, we need to be ready for squabbles between generals, admirals and air marshals.

But these worries shouldn't concern India much because unification of command is like a rebirth for the military. Every big power has gone through it and and they are better off with the new system.

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry.

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry. How does the chain of command work in India? Is there scope for improvement? And what about our weapons? Can they keep up with the rest of the world? India's defence is split into three services: the Air Force, the Navy and the Army. They have their own headquarters, bases and leadership. It's been this way for decades. Watch | But this system has drawbacks. There is a lot of duplication of work and unnecessary bureaucracy. For example, Indian airspace is defended by all three services. They are tracking threats on separate frequencies with their own radars. But every army headquarters is located next to an airbase. So two agencies are doing the same work sitting right next to each other. Talk about the wastage of resources and manpower. If Army, during a combing operation, wants some air support, the in-charge calls up the Air Force. The Air Force will then churn this request through its ranks. The problem here is clear. The person in charge of the operation does not have complete control over the assets. This was the story every time India went to war. The Air Force had its own plan. And the Army was doing its own thing. But modern war machines cannot function like this. And India is realising it. The defence establishment is moving towards what is called "theaterisation". This is how the US and China organise their forces. In India, there's a talk of five commands - the northern command to deal with China, the western command on the Pakistan side, peninsula command in southern India, a maritime command to patrol the seas and an air defence command to protect the airspace. So how is this different from the current set-up? The commands are unified establishments. This means the army the navy and the air force will function together under one command. No more shuttling between agencies for orders. All three services will answer to a single commander. In military circles they call this jointness and integration. India cannot underestimate the mindset problem. The three services are used to autonomy. Both the air force and navy fear the army will dominate joint commands. This could lead to a turf war, a territorial battle for assets, funds and for influence. The other big challenge is logistics. If you appoint a commander what happens to the chiefs of staff? Do the soldiers still report to them? Or will commanders take over operational control? Same is the thing with assets. The air force only has 31 squadrons. Can they spread their assets wide enough to support every command? These are some of the big challenges to joint theatres. The US has a tried and tested system. But India cannot copy it. India's tri-service chief has ruled this out. Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat says India will develop its own system of joint theatres. The military is tight-lipped about the plans. But reports say they should be operational by next year. Hopefully, this will solve the bottlenecks in decision making. An army is only as good as the weapons it has. This is where India has struggled in the past with outdated weapons aircraft and ships. The only way to overhaul this is through defence spending. Now on paper, India is the third largest spender in the world behind the US and China. A break-up of India's defence budget shows that 50 per cent of the funds go to salaries and pensions. So at the start of every month, half the money is already gone. Where does that leave India's modernisation plans? These are figures from this year's budget. The total allocation was 4.78 trillion rupees. After pensions, salaries and other expenses, 1.35 trillion rupees were left. Just 28 per cent of the total budget. For a country with two belligerent neighbours, this is simply inadequate. What are India's options? One is to keep expanding the defence bill. But as this pandemic has shown, India needs to put more money in public health and infrastructure. So a big defence bill could be highly unpopular. What about reforming pensions? Maybe extend the retirement age of officers? Every time someone suggests this, there is backlash from veterans. And the situation isn't getting any better. We need active deployments in the east and west. Which means more soldiers more salaries and more pensions. Where will the money come from? A viable option is to trim the loose ends. Streamline acquisitions, cut down on duplication of work. Right now, every service has its own wishlist. There is no synergy between them on acquisitions. The goal is to get them all together so that India's defence establishment has one wishlist not three. All of this is easier said than done. The bureaucrats are sure to oppose a unified command. They hate being sidelined. Also, we need to be ready for squabbles between generals, admirals and air marshals. But these worries shouldn't concern India much because unification of command is like a rebirth for the military. Every big power has gone through it and and they are better off with the new system.

India's defence forces aim at 'theaterisation' of command

India is grappling with the Wuhan virus. China is capitalising on India's crisis. It has wrapped up construction of a strategic highway in Tibet. A highway that is very close to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

This highway has been under construction for seven years now. China has spent 310 million dollars on this project. It passes though a grand canyon of the river Brahmaputra, on the Tibetan side. This highway will improve China's access to remote areas on the disputed border with Arunachal Pradesh.

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And while China picks up arms over India's road construction in Ladakh, it continues to build such strategic assets along the Indian border. This highway is just a small component of China's grand plan for Tibet.

Xi Jinping has ordered a major infrastructure push. It involves building roads, highways, villages and military outposts

Satellite images show that China has built three villages inside Bhutanese territory. The images taken in January 2021 also show a road connecting Tibet to a village out of these three. The village is called Gyala Phug

Two of the three villages are already occupied. As of the first week of May one was under construction.

And these villages have everything. 66 miles of new roads, a small hydro-power station, two communist party administrative centres, a communications base, a disaster relief warehouse, five outposts...they could be military or police.

These villages have everything to serve as a military base. They have security sites, signal towers, a military base and even a satellite receiving station. All of this has been built in the far north of Bhutan.

Chinese Communist Party's secretary for Tibet traveled to meet villagers in Gyala-Phug. He told the villagers to "Raise the bright five-star red flag high". This is reference to the Chinese flag. He is talking about raising the Chinese flag in Bhutan.

China is taking its South China Sea strategy to the Himalayas. It is building structures to claim disputed territory. In the South China Sea, it fortified and armed shoals claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines.

Now, it has built a highway near Arunachal Pradesh and villages in Bhutan. China wants to do more such construction work along the Tibetan border.

China has released a new policy paper on Tibet. It reveals how Beijing has pumped money into construction activity on the border.

Reports from 2019 say China had plans to built 624 "Well off" villages and farms on Tibet's borders. By 2020, china said many of the border villages were better connected to highways. And all such villages have access to mobile communication. So a highway near Arunachal Pradesh and chinese villages in Bhutan.

All this construction activity is China's attempt to unilaterally change facts on the ground. through encroachment and colonisation.

Pandemic or not, China is not backing down. And India needs to watch out.

India is grappling with the Wuhan virus. China is capitalising on India's crisis. It has wrapped up construction of a strategic highway in Tibet. A highway that is very close to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

India is grappling with the Wuhan virus. China is capitalising on India's crisis. It has wrapped up construction of a strategic highway in Tibet. A highway that is very close to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. This highway has been under construction for seven years now. China has spent 310 million dollars on this project. It passes though a grand canyon of the river Brahmaputra, on the Tibetan side. This highway will improve China's access to remote areas on the disputed border with Arunachal Pradesh. × And while China picks up arms over India's road construction in Ladakh, it continues to build such strategic assets along the Indian border. This highway is just a small component of China's grand plan for Tibet. Xi Jinping has ordered a major infrastructure push. It involves building roads, highways, villages and military outposts Satellite images show that China has built three villages inside Bhutanese territory. The images taken in January 2021 also show a road connecting Tibet to a village out of these three. The village is called Gyala Phug Two of the three villages are already occupied. As of the first week of May one was under construction. And these villages have everything. 66 miles of new roads, a small hydro-power station, two communist party administrative centres, a communications base, a disaster relief warehouse, five outposts...they could be military or police. These villages have everything to serve as a military base. They have security sites, signal towers, a military base and even a satellite receiving station. All of this has been built in the far north of Bhutan. Chinese Communist Party's secretary for Tibet traveled to meet villagers in Gyala-Phug. He told the villagers to "Raise the bright five-star red flag high". This is reference to the Chinese flag. He is talking about raising the Chinese flag in Bhutan. China is taking its South China Sea strategy to the Himalayas. It is building structures to claim disputed territory. In the South China Sea, it fortified and armed shoals claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines. Now, it has built a highway near Arunachal Pradesh and villages in Bhutan. China wants to do more such construction work along the Tibetan border. China has released a new policy paper on Tibet. It reveals how Beijing has pumped money into construction activity on the border. Reports from 2019 say China had plans to built 624 "Well off" villages and farms on Tibet's borders. By 2020, china said many of the border villages were better connected to highways. And all such villages have access to mobile communication. So a highway near Arunachal Pradesh and chinese villages in Bhutan. All this construction activity is China's attempt to unilaterally change facts on the ground. through encroachment and colonisation. Pandemic or not, China is not backing down. And India needs to watch out.

China is taking its South China Sea strategy to Himalayas

At a debate on safety and security of UN peacekeepers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, India said it is&nbsp;"proud" of its "contribution", highlighting the recent role played by Indian brigade in the aftermath of volcanic eruption in DR Congo.&nbsp;

Speaking at the debate,&nbsp;India's Deputy Permanent Representative Nagaraj Naidu said,"India is proud of its long and rich tradition of contribution to UN peacekeeping operations... Even as Ispeak today, an Indian peacekeepers brigade stationed in Goma (DRC) are saving lives of civilians stranded in the aftermath of the Mount Nayargongo eruption in DRC."

Indian forces part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo played a key role in safeguarding civilians and UN assets when the eruption took place.&nbsp;MONUSCO has 14,000 total military personnel including 2,200 Indians, making India the largest troop-contributing country.

India has contributed in many ways to strengthen UN peacekeeping. Earlier this year it&nbsp;delivered 200,000 doses of made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines, which has helped vaccinate&nbsp;140,000 field personnel. Nagraj Naidu said, "During the pandemic, India readily answered the Secretary General’s call by upgrading its hospitals in UNMISS or United Nations Mission in South Sudan and MONUSCO or&nbsp;United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo".

India is also working with UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for development of a mobile tech platform – UNITE AWARE, which, India's deputy envoy said will help "increase situational awareness and provides terrain related information to peacekeepers." India has contributed $1.64 million towards it and will be launching it in August when it will be chair of the United Nations Security Council for that month.

India’s Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) which was set up in 2000 will be signing an MOU with C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations for new training modules for UN peacekeepers. It has also pledged a helicopter unit for MINUSMA or&nbsp;United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and upgraded its medical facilities at MONUSCO (Goma) and UNMISS (Juba).

At the debate, India gave few suggestions to strengthen peacekeeping which involved pointing out that "peacekeeping missions cannot be a long-term response to what are fundamentally political problems" and "it is for the council to address these issues rather than burden peacekeeping missions beyond their mandate."

The statement said, "The Security Council needs to authorize carefully thought-out mandates to peacekeepers in close consultation with troop contributing countries since protection of peacekeepers is as important as protection of civilians.".&nbsp;

India is one of the major troop contributing countries&nbsp;to the UN's peacekeeping forces. It&nbsp;has&nbsp;contributed more than 250,000 troops in 49 UN peacekeeping missions in which&nbsp;175 of its peacekeepers laid&nbsp;down their lives.&nbsp;

At a debate on safety and security of UN peacekeepers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, India said it is "proud" of its "contribution", highlighting the recent role played by Indian brigade in the aftermath of volcanic eruption in DR Congo.

At a debate on safety and security of UN peacekeepers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, India said it is "proud" of its "contribution", highlighting the recent role played by Indian brigade in the aftermath of volcanic eruption in DR Congo. Speaking at the debate, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Nagaraj Naidu said,"India is proud of its long and rich tradition of contribution to UN peacekeeping operations... Even as Ispeak today, an Indian peacekeepers brigade stationed in Goma (DRC) are saving lives of civilians stranded in the aftermath of the Mount Nayargongo eruption in DRC." Indian forces part of the MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo played a key role in safeguarding civilians and UN assets when the eruption took place. MONUSCO has 14,000 total military personnel including 2,200 Indians, making India the largest troop-contributing country. India has contributed in many ways to strengthen UN peacekeeping. Earlier this year it delivered 200,000 doses of made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines, which has helped vaccinate 140,000 field personnel. Nagraj Naidu said, "During the pandemic, India readily answered the Secretary General’s call by upgrading its hospitals in UNMISS or United Nations Mission in South Sudan and MONUSCO or United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". India is also working with UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations for development of a mobile tech platform – UNITE AWARE, which, India's deputy envoy said will help "increase situational awareness and provides terrain related information to peacekeepers." India has contributed $1.64 million towards it and will be launching it in August when it will be chair of the United Nations Security Council for that month. India’s Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) which was set up in 2000 will be signing an MOU with C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations for new training modules for UN peacekeepers. It has also pledged a helicopter unit for MINUSMA or United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and upgraded its medical facilities at MONUSCO (Goma) and UNMISS (Juba). At the debate, India gave few suggestions to strengthen peacekeeping which involved pointing out that "peacekeeping missions cannot be a long-term response to what are fundamentally political problems" and "it is for the council to address these issues rather than burden peacekeeping missions beyond their mandate." The statement said, "The Security Council needs to authorize carefully thought-out mandates to peacekeepers in close consultation with troop contributing countries since protection of peacekeepers is as important as protection of civilians.". India is one of the major troop contributing countries to the UN's peacekeeping forces. It has contributed more than 250,000 troops in 49 UN peacekeeping missions in which 175 of its peacekeepers laid down their lives.

Proud of contribution to UN peacekeeping operations: India at UNSC while highlighting country's role in Congo after volcanic eruption

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries.&nbsp;

Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti received EAM Jaishankar on his first visit to New York after India entered the UN Security Council.&nbsp;

"Privilege to receive External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar on his first visit to New York after #India entered the UN #SecurityCouncil on 1 January 2021," Ambassador Tirumurti tweeted. &nbsp;

Jaishankar's US visit is slated to last till May 28, the External Affairs Ministry said last week. The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and later, he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry said. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. &nbsp;

"External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and Covid-related cooperation between India and the US," said the ministry statement.&nbsp;

India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar's interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders.&nbsp;

The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India.&nbsp;

US has a stockpile of 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.&nbsp;

US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield.&nbsp;

US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives.&nbsp;

In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of the coronavirus. EAM Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in early May in London during G7 Foreign Minister's meeting. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti received EAM Jaishankar on his first visit to New York after India entered the UN Security Council. "Privilege to receive External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar on his first visit to New York after #India entered the UN #SecurityCouncil on 1 January 2021," Ambassador Tirumurti tweeted. Jaishankar's US visit is slated to last till May 28, the External Affairs Ministry said last week. The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and later, he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry said. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. "External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and Covid-related cooperation between India and the US," said the ministry statement. India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar's interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders. The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India. US has a stockpile of 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield. US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives. In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of the coronavirus. EAM Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in early May in London during G7 Foreign Minister's meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

EAM Jaishankar arrives in New York to discuss Covid-related cooperation with US officials 

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation watchdog on Monday de-rostered flight crew of SpiceJet plane that was chartered&nbsp;as a wedding destination in the sky. A counple got married in the plane with more than 100 attendees onboard. The images of the 'ceremony' have gone viral on the social media.

"Crew members are off rostered. Airline directed to lodge a complaint against those not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour with relevant authorities," a DGCA official told ANI.

Pictures of a Madurai-based couple’s wedding that took place on board a chartered commercial aircraft that flew between Madurai and Tuticorin, have gone viral on social media.

What’s caught netizens’ attention is the manner in which the family and wedding attendees are seen blatantly violating COVID-19 norms, with very few wearing masks and the others not wearing them at all or wearing it improperly. This comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is witnessing the peak of COVID-19 with nearly 36,000 daily cases and is in the midst of a state government-ordered Lockdown. &nbsp;

It is said that the couple, who are based out of Goripalayam in Madurai, had tied the knot sometime last week, with limited guests as per the 50-attendee cap set by the government.

However, as the state government announced temporary relaxations to lockdown restrictions on Saturday and Sunday, the families seem to have arranged a chartered flight to have a special wedding with more attendees. It is said that the wedding guests were all tested RT-PCR negative. However the claim has not been verified.&nbsp;

Going by the pictures and videos of this wedding, there are over 100 people seated in the flight, with hardly any adherence to prevalent COVID-19 norms in the Indian Aviation sector. Generally, those taking domestic flights in India have to be temperature checked, masked, are provided face shields, sanitizers, etc to ensure safety of all on board.&nbsp;

WION had reached out to the concerned airline for a clarification and has understood that their plane, a Boeing 737 was chartered by a Madurai travel agent for a group that wanted a post-wedding joy ride. “The client was clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission or any activity to be performed on board. The approval for this flight was taken as joy ride for the wedding group,” read the statement from SpiceJet.&nbsp;

According to the airline, the agent and passengers were repeatedly briefed in detail on the Covid safety norms at the airport and in-flight, and also about the DGCA protocols restricting photography and videography.

“Despite repeated requests and reminders the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” the airline added.

For one week from Monday, Tamil Nadu is in a total lockdown, where even grocery and vegetable shops would be shut. Vegetables and fruits would be sold on carts and vehicles that are authorised to do so by the civic bodies of respective districts. Only medical shops, fuel stations, ATMs and essential government offices will be open, while banks can function with one-third staff. E-commerce deliveries can operate from 8 am until 6 pm. Hotels will function from 6 am to 10 am, 12 noon to 3 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm and provide only takeaways, during which food delivery services can function.&nbsp;

However, the latest government order issued pertaining to this lockdown does not provide information on whether weddings are permitted and the crowd restrictions, crowd restrictions at funerals, etc. It also does not make a mention on availability of cabs, autos, permissions required for traveling to vaccination centres, etc. There is also confusion over whether customers can visit banks, since the banks themselves can function with 1/3rd staff.&nbsp;

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation watchdog on Monday de-rostered flight crew of SpiceJet plane that was chartered as a wedding destination in the sky.

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation watchdog on Monday de-rostered flight crew of SpiceJet plane that was chartered as a wedding destination in the sky. A counple got married in the plane with more than 100 attendees onboard. The images of the 'ceremony' have gone viral on the social media. "Crew members are off rostered. Airline directed to lodge a complaint against those not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour with relevant authorities," a DGCA official told ANI. Pictures of a Madurai-based couple’s wedding that took place on board a chartered commercial aircraft that flew between Madurai and Tuticorin, have gone viral on social media. What’s caught netizens’ attention is the manner in which the family and wedding attendees are seen blatantly violating COVID-19 norms, with very few wearing masks and the others not wearing them at all or wearing it improperly. This comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is witnessing the peak of COVID-19 with nearly 36,000 daily cases and is in the midst of a state government-ordered Lockdown. It is said that the couple, who are based out of Goripalayam in Madurai, had tied the knot sometime last week, with limited guests as per the 50-attendee cap set by the government. However, as the state government announced temporary relaxations to lockdown restrictions on Saturday and Sunday, the families seem to have arranged a chartered flight to have a special wedding with more attendees. It is said that the wedding guests were all tested RT-PCR negative. However the claim has not been verified. Going by the pictures and videos of this wedding, there are over 100 people seated in the flight, with hardly any adherence to prevalent COVID-19 norms in the Indian Aviation sector. Generally, those taking domestic flights in India have to be temperature checked, masked, are provided face shields, sanitizers, etc to ensure safety of all on board. WION had reached out to the concerned airline for a clarification and has understood that their plane, a Boeing 737 was chartered by a Madurai travel agent for a group that wanted a post-wedding joy ride. “The client was clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission or any activity to be performed on board. The approval for this flight was taken as joy ride for the wedding group,” read the statement from SpiceJet. According to the airline, the agent and passengers were repeatedly briefed in detail on the Covid safety norms at the airport and in-flight, and also about the DGCA protocols restricting photography and videography. “Despite repeated requests and reminders the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” the airline added. For one week from Monday, Tamil Nadu is in a total lockdown, where even grocery and vegetable shops would be shut. Vegetables and fruits would be sold on carts and vehicles that are authorised to do so by the civic bodies of respective districts. Only medical shops, fuel stations, ATMs and essential government offices will be open, while banks can function with one-third staff. E-commerce deliveries can operate from 8 am until 6 pm. Hotels will function from 6 am to 10 am, 12 noon to 3 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm and provide only takeaways, during which food delivery services can function. However, the latest government order issued pertaining to this lockdown does not provide information on whether weddings are permitted and the crowd restrictions, crowd restrictions at funerals, etc. It also does not make a mention on availability of cabs, autos, permissions required for traveling to vaccination centres, etc. There is also confusion over whether customers can visit banks, since the banks themselves can function with 1/3rd staff.

Tamil Nadu: Couple’s sky-high wedding creates problem, DGCA takes flight crew off duty

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has summitted application to the World Health Organization for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of its Covid vaccine Covaxin, becoming the second India-made vaccine to apply at the global body for authorisation.

Bharat Biotech had summitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) on April 19, with more information required according to documents on WHO website. &nbsp;

It will have to now go through three more stages, pre-submission meeting, dossier accepted for review and final status of assessment. The pre-submission meeting will take place later in May or June. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Last week, speaking to WION exclusively, Suchitra Ella, joint managing director, Bharat Biotech, said, the Covaxin "proved to be neutralising all variants including double mutant, which has been observed in India" and it has an 'edge' given it is inactivated virus vaccines produced in cell culture or vero cell platform.&nbsp;

The company plans to produce one billion vaccines via its three different facilities in three states, 200-250 million from Hyderabad facility, around 500 million doses from Bangalore and 200 million from Ankleshwar, Gujarat.&nbsp;

A benefit of WHO listing will allow Covaxin to get global approval for use, something that has other benefits like easy movement of Indians, who have been vaccinated by it. While when it comes to mutual recognition of vaccines by countries is still under progress, if and when it comes into effect, WHO approved vaccines will give an automatic benefit. &nbsp;

On February 15, WHO gave emergency use approval to Covishield vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India. So far, seven vaccines globally have been given approval by WHO for EUL, these are Pfizer's Comirnaty, Astrazeneca's AZD1222, Janssen's Ad26.COV2.S, Moderna's mRNA-1273 and Sinopharm's SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. Russia's Sputnik, China's Sinovac and Cuba have also applied for emergency approval.&nbsp;

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has summitted application to the World Health Organization for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of its Covid vaccine Covaxin, becoming the second India-made vaccine to apply at the global body for authorisation.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has summitted application to the World Health Organization for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of its Covid vaccine Covaxin, becoming the second India-made vaccine to apply at the global body for authorisation. Bharat Biotech had summitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) on April 19, with more information required according to documents on WHO website. It will have to now go through three more stages, pre-submission meeting, dossier accepted for review and final status of assessment. The pre-submission meeting will take place later in May or June. Last week, speaking to WION exclusively, Suchitra Ella, joint managing director, Bharat Biotech, said, the Covaxin "proved to be neutralising all variants including double mutant, which has been observed in India" and it has an 'edge' given it is inactivated virus vaccines produced in cell culture or vero cell platform. The company plans to produce one billion vaccines via its three different facilities in three states, 200-250 million from Hyderabad facility, around 500 million doses from Bangalore and 200 million from Ankleshwar, Gujarat. A benefit of WHO listing will allow Covaxin to get global approval for use, something that has other benefits like easy movement of Indians, who have been vaccinated by it. While when it comes to mutual recognition of vaccines by countries is still under progress, if and when it comes into effect, WHO approved vaccines will give an automatic benefit. On February 15, WHO gave emergency use approval to Covishield vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India. So far, seven vaccines globally have been given approval by WHO for EUL, these are Pfizer's Comirnaty, Astrazeneca's AZD1222, Janssen's Ad26.COV2.S, Moderna's mRNA-1273 and Sinopharm's SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. Russia's Sputnik, China's Sinovac and Cuba have also applied for emergency approval.

Bharat Biotech applies for WHO nod for Covaxin; pre-submission meeting soon

The pandemic has hit almost all sections of the society in&nbsp;ways more than one. Scores have been left jobless and many have been left to fend for themselves as lockdowns have prolonged. One of the lesser talked about sections is the transgender community in Kashmir, which seems to have been severely impacted as their sources of income have dried up.

Khushi Mir, a transgender from Srinagar has been without a job for more than a year. Khushi is a make-up artist and she has not had a client since the start of pandemic . Her clients mostly were brides and due to lockdown, there have been&nbsp;no weddings which means no business for her.

But that did not stop her from creating a group where not only has she managed to help herself but hundreds of other transgenders. Along with four young boys, she started&nbsp;a volunteer group. They're currently distributing food kits to the transgender community.&nbsp;

"A friend called me a few weeks ago and was in a very desperate situation, they had no food. I tried helping first on a personal level but later when I started getting more calls. I got in touch with Uzair. We are a group of 5 and we are trying our best to reach as many transgenders as possible. We have a list on 400 with us and slowly we are providing food kits to all of them.'' says Khushi Mir, a volunteer.

Khushi, on her own managed to make a network among the transgender community in the valley. They have listed 400 so far. These transgenders were make-up artists, singers and matchmakers. But due to lockdown they have lost their livelihoods.&nbsp;

Transgender community experiences&nbsp;harassment which has&nbsp;impacted the rates of vaccination&nbsp;among the community. They're&nbsp;requesting the government to start a special vaccination drive or to stipulate a centre for their community.&nbsp;

''We want separate vaccination centres for our community. Some people make fun of us while we walk on the roads, we don't want to go through that humiliation during our vaccination. So, a small vaccination centre for us would be a great help by the government.'' says Khushi Mir, Volunteer.&nbsp;

Among the other four&nbsp;members of the group are Mir Junaid and Uzair Dar. They have managed to crowd fund this project. Multiple people and organisations from across the country have donated for this cause.&nbsp;

''We distribute a ration kit [to] transgenders. The kit includes 25 kgs rice, 5 litre oil, spices, tea, sugar and salt. It costs us around 2500 rupees to make per kit. We have a list of 400 transgenders in total with us. In our first drive, we managed to reach out to 50 people,'' says Uzair Dar, Volunteer. The community claims that they have not received any help from the government.&nbsp;

The pandemic has hit almost all sections of the society in ways more than one. Scores have been left jobless and many have been left to fend for themselves as lockdowns have prolonged.

The pandemic has hit almost all sections of the society in ways more than one. Scores have been left jobless and many have been left to fend for themselves as lockdowns have prolonged. One of the lesser talked about sections is the transgender community in Kashmir, which seems to have been severely impacted as their sources of income have dried up. Khushi Mir, a transgender from Srinagar has been without a job for more than a year. Khushi is a make-up artist and she has not had a client since the start of pandemic . Her clients mostly were brides and due to lockdown, there have been no weddings which means no business for her. But that did not stop her from creating a group where not only has she managed to help herself but hundreds of other transgenders. Along with four young boys, she started a volunteer group. They're currently distributing food kits to the transgender community. "A friend called me a few weeks ago and was in a very desperate situation, they had no food. I tried helping first on a personal level but later when I started getting more calls. I got in touch with Uzair. We are a group of 5 and we are trying our best to reach as many transgenders as possible. We have a list on 400 with us and slowly we are providing food kits to all of them.'' says Khushi Mir, a volunteer. Khushi, on her own managed to make a network among the transgender community in the valley. They have listed 400 so far. These transgenders were make-up artists, singers and matchmakers. But due to lockdown they have lost their livelihoods. Transgender community experiences harassment which has impacted the rates of vaccination among the community. They're requesting the government to start a special vaccination drive or to stipulate a centre for their community. ''We want separate vaccination centres for our community. Some people make fun of us while we walk on the roads, we don't want to go through that humiliation during our vaccination. So, a small vaccination centre for us would be a great help by the government.'' says Khushi Mir, Volunteer. Among the other four members of the group are Mir Junaid and Uzair Dar. They have managed to crowd fund this project. Multiple people and organisations from across the country have donated for this cause. ''We distribute a ration kit [to] transgenders. The kit includes 25 kgs rice, 5 litre oil, spices, tea, sugar and salt. It costs us around 2500 rupees to make per kit. We have a list of 400 transgenders in total with us. In our first drive, we managed to reach out to 50 people,'' says Uzair Dar, Volunteer. The community claims that they have not received any help from the government.

Group of volunteers helps transgender community in Kashmir with food kits amid Covid

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) based at Bengaluru, India, is working and trying to develop another vaccine that could be more effective in fighting against the new strains of COVID-19.

India: IISc working on new effective vaccine against pandemic COVID-19

India continues to witness a consistent drop in daily case load of COVID-19 pandemic with 2,22,315 in the last 24 hrs, However, the situation in India is still severe as India has now passed the grim milestone 3,00,000 deaths from the virus.

New COVID-19 cases dip to lowest since April 16 in India

A severe&nbsp;cyclone&nbsp;is brewing off&nbsp;India's eastern coast, the nation's weather bureau warned Sunday, as the death toll rose&nbsp;from a major&nbsp;storm&nbsp;that wreaked havoc in the west of the virus-hit nation last&nbsp;week.

Moving northwards in the Bay of Bengal, the depression was set to form a&nbsp;cyclone,&nbsp;to be dubbed Yaas, before intensifying and hitting the eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha on Wednesday, the&nbsp;India&nbsp;Meteorological Department said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-tauktae-six-dead-as-powerful-storm-heads-for-india-385552">Cyclone Tauktae: Six dead as powerful storm heads for India</a>

The&nbsp;storm&nbsp;could pack winds of up to 165 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, hitting occasional highs of up to 185kph by mid-Wednesday as a "Very Severe Cyclonic&nbsp;Storm", the third-worst category, the department said.

It also warned of&nbsp;storm&nbsp;surges of up to four metres (13 feet) high in coastal areas.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-review-preparations-to-deal-with-cyclone-yaas-386841">PM Modi to review preparations to deal with cyclone Yaas</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday he had chaired a meeting on the approaching&nbsp;storm, with the military and disaster teams deployed to help with the preparations and potential rescue operations.

Cyclone&nbsp;Yaas is set to hit soon&nbsp;after&nbsp;Cyclone&nbsp;Tauktae,&nbsp;India's first major tropical&nbsp;storm&nbsp;this season, which battered the western state of Gujarat late Monday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/barge-p305-located-on-seabed-indian-navy-continues-search-for-20-missing-personnel-386866">Barge P305 located on seabed, Indian Navy continues search for 20 missing personnel</a>&nbsp;

The death toll from the&nbsp;storm&nbsp;rose to at least 140 on Sunday, with 70 bodies recovered&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;cyclone&nbsp;hit an oil rig off Mumbai and several support vessels, the navy said.

Around 600 people were rescued by the navy but five remain missing from an accommodation barge for oil workers that ripped free of its anchors in the&nbsp;storm&nbsp;and sank.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/cyclone-tauktae-22-dead-in-mumbai-after-barge-sank-386076/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Search &amp; Rescue ops by ships and helicopters/aircraft will continue in the area to locate the remaining crew of the sunken vessels," the navy said in a statement Sunday.

India's neighbour Bangladesh, which borders West Bengal, said it was monitoring Yaas.

"All the boats and fishing trawlers have been ordered to come close to the coast as a precautionary measure. Tomorrow (Monday) we will have better idea where it is heading," Bangladesh Meteorological Department senior weather forecaster Bazlur Rashid told AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-coast-guard-teams-on-stand-by-fishermen-sailors-alerted-for-cyclone-yaas-on-east-coast-386334">Indian Coast Guard teams on stand-by, fishermen, sailors alerted for Cyclone ‘Yaas’ on East Coast</a>

Scientists say cyclones in the densely populated region, currently reeling from a&nbsp;deadly&nbsp;wave of Covid-19 infections, are becoming both more frequent and stronger as climate change leads to warmer sea temperatures.

Last May, more than 110 people died&nbsp;after&nbsp;"super&nbsp;cyclone" Amphan ravaged eastern&nbsp;India&nbsp;and Bangladesh, flattening villages, destroying farms and leaving millions without electricity.

A severe cyclone is brewing off India's eastern coast, the nation's weather bureau warned Sunday, as the death toll rose from a major storm that wreaked havoc in the west of the virus-hit nation last week.

A severe cyclone is brewing off India's eastern coast, the nation's weather bureau warned Sunday, as the death toll rose from a major storm that wreaked havoc in the west of the virus-hit nation last week. Moving northwards in the Bay of Bengal, the depression was set to form a cyclone, to be dubbed Yaas, before intensifying and hitting the eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department said. Also read | Cyclone Tauktae: Six dead as powerful storm heads for India The storm could pack winds of up to 165 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, hitting occasional highs of up to 185kph by mid-Wednesday as a "Very Severe Cyclonic Storm", the third-worst category, the department said. It also warned of storm surges of up to four metres (13 feet) high in coastal areas. Also read | PM Modi to review preparations to deal with cyclone Yaas Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday he had chaired a meeting on the approaching storm, with the military and disaster teams deployed to help with the preparations and potential rescue operations. Cyclone Yaas is set to hit soon after Cyclone Tauktae, India's first major tropical storm this season, which battered the western state of Gujarat late Monday. Also read | Barge P305 located on seabed, Indian Navy continues search for 20 missing personnel The death toll from the storm rose to at least 140 on Sunday, with 70 bodies recovered after the cyclone hit an oil rig off Mumbai and several support vessels, the navy said. Around 600 people were rescued by the navy but five remain missing from an accommodation barge for oil workers that ripped free of its anchors in the storm and sank. "Search & Rescue ops by ships and helicopters/aircraft will continue in the area to locate the remaining crew of the sunken vessels," the navy said in a statement Sunday. India's neighbour Bangladesh, which borders West Bengal, said it was monitoring Yaas. "All the boats and fishing trawlers have been ordered to come close to the coast as a precautionary measure. Tomorrow (Monday) we will have better idea where it is heading," Bangladesh Meteorological Department senior weather forecaster Bazlur Rashid told AFP. Also read | Indian Coast Guard teams on stand-by, fishermen, sailors alerted for Cyclone ‘Yaas’ on East Coast Scientists say cyclones in the densely populated region, currently reeling from a deadly wave of Covid-19 infections, are becoming both more frequent and stronger as climate change leads to warmer sea temperatures. Last May, more than 110 people died after "super cyclone" Amphan ravaged eastern India and Bangladesh, flattening villages, destroying farms and leaving millions without electricity.

Another cyclone Yaas looms for India, week after deadly storm Tauktae

India is fighting an epidemic within a pandemic. First, the Wuhan virus killed tens of thousands of people and now those who have recovered face the risk of a black fungus infection.

The new coronavirus cases remain below 300,000 but India's total pandemic caseload has now crossed 26 million with active cases still falling. It dropped by more than 200,000 on Thursday.&nbsp;

Now, India has been reporting over three million active cases but recoveries remain steady as more than 22 million people have recovered in India since last year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-black-fungus-declared-an-epidemic-in-india-386622">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-black-fungus-declared-an-epidemic-in-india-386622/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, once again India has reported more than 4,000 deaths in a day. Overall, close to 300,000 people have died since last year which is the official figure.

The world over, the official death toll is 3.4 million, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

But the WHO now says it may not be the accurate figure and that fatalities are being underreported worldwide.

The actual figure could be two to three times higher and seven to nine million people could have died worldwide which includes the unreported deaths from the Wuhan virus and the indirect deaths caused by factors like the lack of hospital capacity and restrictions on movement.

Those patients who couldn't reach the hospitals and were not registered. In 2020 alone, the WHO estimates that the Wuhan virus killed at least three million people.

The official figures for 2020 are 1.8 fatalities.

India is fighting an epidemic within a pandemic. First, the Wuhan virus killed tens of thousands of people and now those who have recovered face the risk of a black fungus infection.

India is fighting an epidemic within a pandemic. First, the Wuhan virus killed tens of thousands of people and now those who have recovered face the risk of a black fungus infection. The new coronavirus cases remain below 300,000 but India's total pandemic caseload has now crossed 26 million with active cases still falling. It dropped by more than 200,000 on Thursday. Now, India has been reporting over three million active cases but recoveries remain steady as more than 22 million people have recovered in India since last year. Watch | However, once again India has reported more than 4,000 deaths in a day. Overall, close to 300,000 people have died since last year which is the official figure. The world over, the official death toll is 3.4 million, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). But the WHO now says it may not be the accurate figure and that fatalities are being underreported worldwide. The actual figure could be two to three times higher and seven to nine million people could have died worldwide which includes the unreported deaths from the Wuhan virus and the indirect deaths caused by factors like the lack of hospital capacity and restrictions on movement. Those patients who couldn't reach the hospitals and were not registered. In 2020 alone, the WHO estimates that the Wuhan virus killed at least three million people. The official figures for 2020 are 1.8 fatalities.

As India fights pandemic, recovered patients risk black fungus infection

Lockdown in the national capital has been extended by one more week, announced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, adding that if the trend of decline in new COVID-19 continues, the process of unlock will begin from May 31.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the positivity rate dropped to 2.5 per cent as only 1,600 fresh coronavirus infections were reported in the last 24 hours.

"The positivity rate has come to 2.5 per cent in Delhi. 1,600 new COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours... Lockdown has been extended till 31st May, 5 am in Delhi," he said.

"If cases continue to decline in the coming week, we shall start the process of unlock from May 31. We will not open up all things at one go but will open up activities in a phased manner," he added.

The national capital has been under a lockdown since April 19 in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic. According to Delhi Health Bulletin issued on Saturday, Delhi reported 2,260 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest number of new cases since March 31 this year.

Kejriwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stating that Delhi requires 80 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses per month to vaccinate the people of the national capital in three months.&nbsp;

Lockdown in the national capital has been extended by one more week, announced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, adding that if the trend of decline in new COVID-19 continues, the process of unlock will begin from May 31.

Lockdown in the national capital has been extended by one more week, announced Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, adding that if the trend of decline in new COVID-19 continues, the process of unlock will begin from May 31. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said the positivity rate dropped to 2.5 per cent as only 1,600 fresh coronavirus infections were reported in the last 24 hours. "The positivity rate has come to 2.5 per cent in Delhi. 1,600 new COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours... Lockdown has been extended till 31st May, 5 am in Delhi," he said. "If cases continue to decline in the coming week, we shall start the process of unlock from May 31. We will not open up all things at one go but will open up activities in a phased manner," he added. The national capital has been under a lockdown since April 19 in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the second wave of the pandemic. According to Delhi Health Bulletin issued on Saturday, Delhi reported 2,260 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest number of new cases since March 31 this year. Kejriwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stating that Delhi requires 80 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses per month to vaccinate the people of the national capital in three months.

COVID-19: Lockdown in Delhi extended by another week, unlock likely from May 31

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