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West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the "worrisome situation" in the state.

During the meeting, the governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said.

Dhankhar before the meeting had tweeted: "Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation."

"Also state of affairs and affairs of State @MamataOfficial. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of WB people," he tweeted.

The governor had also said that he would discuss with the home minister about his constitutional duties provided under Article 159 that includes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and will "devote myself to the service and well-being of the people".

"I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE," Dhankar said in another tweet.

On Sunday, the governor had said there was no room for complacency for the state government when it came to dealing with rising COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in West Bengal.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the "worrisome situation" in the state. During the meeting, the governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed with him the "worrisome situation" in the state. During the meeting, the governor apprised the home minister about the prevailing law and order, political and COVID-19 situation in West Bengal, officials said. Dhankhar before the meeting had tweeted: "Would be discussing with Union Home Minister at noon today West Bengal worrisome situation." "Also state of affairs and affairs of State @MamataOfficial. Welfare of people of West Bengal is ever uppermost in my mind. All my actions are inspired to mitigate woes of WB people," he tweeted. The governor had also said that he would discuss with the home minister about his constitutional duties provided under Article 159 that includes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and will "devote myself to the service and well-being of the people". "I PLEDGE TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR WB PEOPLE," Dhankar said in another tweet. On Sunday, the governor had said there was no room for complacency for the state government when it came to dealing with rising COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in West Bengal.

Amid tussle with Mamata government, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar meets Amit Shah

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

According to a Health Ministry statement, the case fatality rate (CFR) has fallen below 2.5 per cent for the first time.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate declined from 3.2 per cent around May 12 to 2.82 per cent around June 1.

It declined further to 2.72 per cent on July 10 and to 2.49 per cent at present.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the ministry said as the coronavirus infection tally surged to 10,77,618 and the death toll rose to 26,816 on Sunday.

Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation, the ministry said.

"The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422.The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said.

There are 29 states and union territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than national average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 per cent.

The focused efforts of the Centre and the state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 per cent, the ministry said.

With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardized clinical management protocols based on holistic standard of care approach, the CFR has significantly dipped, it said.

"The CFR is progressively falling and currently, it is 2.49 per cent. India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world," the ministry said.

Under the guidance of the Centre, the state and UT governments have ramped up testing and hospital infrastructure by combining public and private sector efforts, the ministry said.

Many states have conducted the population surveys to map and identify the vulnerable population like the elderly, pregnant women and those with comorbidities.

This, with the help of technological solutions like mobile apps, has ensured keeping the high-risk population under continuous observation, thus aiding early identification, timely clinical treatment and reducing fatalities, the ministry said.

"At the ground level, frontline health workers like ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nursing Midwives) have done a commendable job of managing the migrant population and to enhance awareness at the community level.

"As a result, there are 29 States and UTs with CFR lower than India's average. This shows commendable work done by public health apparatus of the country," the ministry said.

Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have zero case fatality rate.

States and UTs having a CFR below the national average include Tripura (0.19 pc), Assam (0.23 pc), Kerala (0.34 pc), Odisha (0.51 pc), Goa (0.60 pc), Himachal Pradesh (0.75 pc), Bihar (0.83 pc), Telangana (0.93 pc), Andhra Pradesh (1.31 pc), Tamil Nadu (1.45 pc), Chandigarh (1.71 pc), Rajasthan (1.94 pc), Karnataka (2.08 pc) and Uttar Pradesh (2.36 pc).

India saw a record single-day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10, 77,618 on Sunday, while the death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 AM.

The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up.

The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing.

The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested.

A total of 3, 58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday.

With a total of 1, 37, 91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it. According to a Health Ministry statement, the case fatality rate (CFR) has fallen below 2.5 per cent for the first time. India's COVID-19 case fatality rate declined from 3.2 per cent around May 12 to 2.82 per cent around June 1. It declined further to 2.72 per cent on July 10 and to 2.49 per cent at present. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the ministry said as the coronavirus infection tally surged to 10,77,618 and the death toll rose to 26,816 on Sunday. Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation, the ministry said. "The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422.The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said. There are 29 states and union territories with a case fatality rate (CFR) lower than national average, with five of them having a CFR of zero and 14 having fatality rate of less than 1 per cent. The focused efforts of the Centre and the state and UT governments on efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases have ensured that India's case fatality rate has fallen below 2.5 per cent, the ministry said. With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardized clinical management protocols based on holistic standard of care approach, the CFR has significantly dipped, it said. "The CFR is progressively falling and currently, it is 2.49 per cent. India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world," the ministry said. Under the guidance of the Centre, the state and UT governments have ramped up testing and hospital infrastructure by combining public and private sector efforts, the ministry said. Many states have conducted the population surveys to map and identify the vulnerable population like the elderly, pregnant women and those with comorbidities. This, with the help of technological solutions like mobile apps, has ensured keeping the high-risk population under continuous observation, thus aiding early identification, timely clinical treatment and reducing fatalities, the ministry said. "At the ground level, frontline health workers like ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nursing Midwives) have done a commendable job of managing the migrant population and to enhance awareness at the community level. "As a result, there are 29 States and UTs with CFR lower than India's average. This shows commendable work done by public health apparatus of the country," the ministry said. Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have zero case fatality rate. States and UTs having a CFR below the national average include Tripura (0.19 pc), Assam (0.23 pc), Kerala (0.34 pc), Odisha (0.51 pc), Goa (0.60 pc), Himachal Pradesh (0.75 pc), Bihar (0.83 pc), Telangana (0.93 pc), Andhra Pradesh (1.31 pc), Tamil Nadu (1.45 pc), Chandigarh (1.71 pc), Rajasthan (1.94 pc), Karnataka (2.08 pc) and Uttar Pradesh (2.36 pc). India saw a record single-day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10, 77,618 on Sunday, while the death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 AM. The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up. The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing. The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested. A total of 3, 58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday. With a total of 1, 37, 91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate falls below 2.5 per cent for first time: Health Ministry

US President Donald Trump is considering an Indian American lawyer to head the Asia Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the White House said.

If confirmed, Sue Ghosh Stricklett from Maryland would become Assistant Administrator of USAID (Bureau for Asia).

Stricklett is an attorney in private practice with over 25 years of experience in national security law and foreign affairs, the White House said.

The scope of her practice includes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, intellectual property licensing and technology transfer, US dual-use and defense trade control licensing, and sanctions law enforcement.

"She has served as an Asia policy advisor to three Presidential campaigns and several major Indo-American advocacy organisations," the White House said.

Stricklett hails from Queens in New York and is a graduate of the State University of New York.

She earned her Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.

US President Donald Trump is considering an Indian American lawyer to head the Asia Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the White House said.

US President Donald Trump is considering an Indian American lawyer to head the Asia Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the White House said. If confirmed, Sue Ghosh Stricklett from Maryland would become Assistant Administrator of USAID (Bureau for Asia). Stricklett is an attorney in private practice with over 25 years of experience in national security law and foreign affairs, the White House said. The scope of her practice includes Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance, intellectual property licensing and technology transfer, US dual-use and defense trade control licensing, and sanctions law enforcement. "She has served as an Asia policy advisor to three Presidential campaigns and several major Indo-American advocacy organisations," the White House said. Stricklett hails from Queens in New York and is a graduate of the State University of New York. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.

Trump considering Indian-American lawyer to head Asia Bureau of USAID

Record 4,120 new positive cases in 24 hours shot up Karnataka`s Covid-19 tally to a whopping 63,772, including 39,370 active after 23,095 were discharged so far, with 1,290 during the day, a state health official said.

 
With 91 more patients succumbing to the infection across the state in the day, the death toll touched 1,331 since March 9.

"As the epicentre of the pandemic in the southern state, Bengaluru reported 2,156 fresh cases in the day, taking its tally to 31,777, including 24,316 active after 6,793 were discharged so far, with 253 on Sunday, while 667 died of the infection till date, with 36 in the last 24 hours," said the official.

Of the 579 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) across the state, 332 are in Bengaluru.

"Of the 35,834 samples tested during the day, 28,929 turned negative. Of the 10,20830 tests conducted since March, 9,27,945 were negative," said the official.

Of the cases registered in districts, Dakshina Kannada accounted for 285, followed by Vijayapura 171, Chikkaballapur 135, Udupi 134, Dharwad 126, Mysuru 110 and Shivamogga 104.

Similarly, of the patients discharged in districts, 127 were in Vijayapura, Uttar Kannada 98, Dakshina Kannada 90, Ballari 85, Yadigir 83, Kalaburagi 80, Kodagu 59 and Raichur 43.

Record 4,120 new positive cases in 24 hours shot up Karnataka`s Covid-19 tally to a whopping 63,772, including 39,370 active after 23,095 were discharged so far, with 1,290 during the day, a state health official said.

Record 4,120 new positive cases in 24 hours shot up Karnataka`s Covid-19 tally to a whopping 63,772, including 39,370 active after 23,095 were discharged so far, with 1,290 during the day, a state health official said. With 91 more patients succumbing to the infection across the state in the day, the death toll touched 1,331 since March 9. "As the epicentre of the pandemic in the southern state, Bengaluru reported 2,156 fresh cases in the day, taking its tally to 31,777, including 24,316 active after 6,793 were discharged so far, with 253 on Sunday, while 667 died of the infection till date, with 36 in the last 24 hours," said the official. Of the 579 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) across the state, 332 are in Bengaluru. "Of the 35,834 samples tested during the day, 28,929 turned negative. Of the 10,20830 tests conducted since March, 9,27,945 were negative," said the official. Of the cases registered in districts, Dakshina Kannada accounted for 285, followed by Vijayapura 171, Chikkaballapur 135, Udupi 134, Dharwad 126, Mysuru 110 and Shivamogga 104. Similarly, of the patients discharged in districts, 127 were in Vijayapura, Uttar Kannada 98, Dakshina Kannada 90, Ballari 85, Yadigir 83, Kalaburagi 80, Kodagu 59 and Raichur 43.

Record 4,120 new cases push Karnataka COVID-19 tally to 63,772

US Navy's USS Nimitz, the world's largest warship, is likely to conduct a drill with Indian Navy's off the coast of Andaman &amp; Nicobar island. Nimitz is already present in the Indian ocean and came into the ocean via Malacca Strait.&nbsp;

The strait, a narrow stretch between Malaysia and Indonesia is a crucial global choke point from which considerable global oil flows to the rest of Asia including China.

The likely India-US drill could happen on the lines of exercise India had with the Japanese Naval forces at the end of June month. The India-Japan Naval exercise was termed "Passex" or passing exercise.

The development comes amidst India-China border standoff. Last month India and China were involved in a violent face-off after "Chinese side took a premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties" according to Ministry of external affairs.

Nimitz aircraft carrier is coming from South China sea and was part of wargames along with USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Both conducted dual-carrier operations in the Philippine Sea which according to US Navy was to "demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo-Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability.”

The development is also significant given the increased Chinese presence in the Indian ocean. China has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the horn of Africa, located strategically at the mouth of crucial sea lanes connecting the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian ocean.

Meanwhile, it looks a significant possibility that Australia may join India, US &amp; Japan for Malabar exercise expected to happen later this year. All 4 countries already have a working arrangement called Quad whose foreign ministers met last year. 
&nbsp;

US Navy's USS Nimitz, the world's largest warship, is likely to conduct a drill with Indian Navy's off the coast of Andaman & Nicobar island. Nimitz is already present in the Indian ocean and came into the ocean via Malacca Strait.

US Navy's USS Nimitz, the world's largest warship, is likely to conduct a drill with Indian Navy's off the coast of Andaman & Nicobar island. Nimitz is already present in the Indian ocean and came into the ocean via Malacca Strait. The strait, a narrow stretch between Malaysia and Indonesia is a crucial global choke point from which considerable global oil flows to the rest of Asia including China. The likely India-US drill could happen on the lines of exercise India had with the Japanese Naval forces at the end of June month. The India-Japan Naval exercise was termed "Passex" or passing exercise. The development comes amidst India-China border standoff. Last month India and China were involved in a violent face-off after "Chinese side took a premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties" according to Ministry of external affairs. Nimitz aircraft carrier is coming from South China sea and was part of wargames along with USS Theodore Roosevelt. Both conducted dual-carrier operations in the Philippine Sea which according to US Navy was to "demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo-Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability.” The development is also significant given the increased Chinese presence in the Indian ocean. China has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the horn of Africa, located strategically at the mouth of crucial sea lanes connecting the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden and wider Indian ocean. Meanwhile, it looks a significant possibility that Australia may join India, US & Japan for Malabar exercise expected to happen later this year. All 4 countries already have a working arrangement called Quad whose foreign ministers met last year.

WION exclusive:  America's largest warship likely to exercise with Indian Navy amid Chinese aggression

India saw a record single- day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10,77,618 on Sunday, while the total number of recoveries rose to 6,77,422, according to the Union Health Ministry data.&nbsp;

The death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities reported in a day.

The data updated at 8 am on Sunday showed that 23,672 patients have recuperated in the past 24 hours, the highest so far.

There are 3,73,379 active cases presently in the country.The total number of confirmed cases includes foreigners.

This is the fourth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 30,000.&nbsp;

Of the 543 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 144 are from Maharashtra, 93 from Karnataka, 88 from Tamil Nadu, 52 from Andhra Pradesh, 27 from West Bengal, 26 from Delhi, 24 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Haryana, 16 from Gujarat and nine from Madhya Pradesh.

Bihar, Punjab and Rajasthan have reported seven fatalities each followed by Telangana with six deaths, Jammu and Kashmir five, Odisha and Puducherry three each, Assam, Tripura and Kerala two each while Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have registered a fatality each.&nbsp;

To this end, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad.

Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India told ANI: "This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread."

"Cases are penetrating down into towns and villages where it will be very difficult to control the situation. In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots). All these issues are very important and the state governments should take full care and seek help of the Central government to control the situation," he further said.

(with inputs from agencies)

India saw a record single- day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10,77,618 on Sunday, while the total number of recoveries rose to 6,77,422, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

India saw a record single- day jump of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 10,77,618 on Sunday, while the total number of recoveries rose to 6,77,422, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll due to the disease rose to 26,816 with 543 fatalities reported in a day. The data updated at 8 am on Sunday showed that 23,672 patients have recuperated in the past 24 hours, the highest so far. There are 3,73,379 active cases presently in the country.The total number of confirmed cases includes foreigners. This is the fourth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 30,000. Of the 543 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 144 are from Maharashtra, 93 from Karnataka, 88 from Tamil Nadu, 52 from Andhra Pradesh, 27 from West Bengal, 26 from Delhi, 24 from Uttar Pradesh, 17 from Haryana, 16 from Gujarat and nine from Madhya Pradesh. Bihar, Punjab and Rajasthan have reported seven fatalities each followed by Telangana with six deaths, Jammu and Kashmir five, Odisha and Puducherry three each, Assam, Tripura and Kerala two each while Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand have registered a fatality each. To this end, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is of the view that community spread has started and the situation is pretty bad. Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India told ANI: "This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread." "Cases are penetrating down into towns and villages where it will be very difficult to control the situation. In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots). All these issues are very important and the state governments should take full care and seek help of the Central government to control the situation," he further said. (with inputs from agencies)

Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases in India; IMA terms it onset of community spread

India saw a record single-day spike of 38,902 coronavirus cases on Sunday morning, taking the tally to 1,077,618 and the death toll to&nbsp;26,816 with 543 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

Karnataka reported&nbsp;4120 new positive cases, of which 2156 cases are from Bengaluru. Total number of cases rose to 63,772 including 39,370 active cases. Death toll increased to 1,331 after 91 deaths were reported today.

Maharashtra health department reported 9,518 new positive cases, 258 deaths in the past 24 hours. A total of&nbsp;3,906 patients were discharged in Maharashtra today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 310,455 including 169,569 discharged and 11,854 deaths.

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934 new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> have been reported in Rajasthan till 8:30 pm today, taking the total number of cases to 29434 including 7145 active cases. Death toll rises to 559 after 6 deaths were reported today: State Health Department. <a href="https://t.co/F5JKAJmrnZ">pic.twitter.com/F5JKAJmrnZ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1284875205177774081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Mumbai reported 1,046 new COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 101,224 and 5,711 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 23,828.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/record-single-day-spike-of-38902-covid-19-cases-in-india-ima-terms-it-onset-of-community-spread-314392">Also read:&nbsp;Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases in India; IMA terms it onset of community spread</a>

West Bengal reported&nbsp;2,278 new&nbsp;cases, taking the total number of cases to 42,487. Death toll now stands at 1112 after 36 deaths were reported today.

India's national capital New Delhi reported 1,211 new cases, 1860 recovered/discharged/migrated and 31 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases is now 122,793 including 1,03,134 recovered/ discharged/ migrated and 3,628 deaths.

Tamil Nadu recorded the highest single-day spike of&nbsp;4,979 new positive cases and 78 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases rise to 170,693 including 50,294 active cases and 2,481 deaths.

Gujarat reported 965 #COVID19 positive cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours. State tally rises to 48,441 including 11,412 active cases, 34,882 cured/discharged and 2,147 deaths.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 as on Sunday with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said.

"The total number of recovered cases is 677,422. The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said.

The ministry said India's COVID-19&nbsp;case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world.

India saw a record single-day spike of 38,902 coronavirus cases on Sunday morning, taking the tally to 1,077,618 and the death toll to 26,816 with 543 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

India saw a record single-day spike of 38,902 coronavirus cases on Sunday morning, taking the tally to 1,077,618 and the death toll to 26,816 with 543 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Karnataka reported 4120 new positive cases, of which 2156 cases are from Bengaluru. Total number of cases rose to 63,772 including 39,370 active cases. Death toll increased to 1,331 after 91 deaths were reported today. Maharashtra health department reported 9,518 new positive cases, 258 deaths in the past 24 hours. A total of 3,906 patients were discharged in Maharashtra today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 310,455 including 169,569 discharged and 11,854 deaths. 934 new #COVID19 have been reported in Rajasthan till 8:30 pm today, taking the total number of cases to 29434 including 7145 active cases. Death toll rises to 559 after 6 deaths were reported today: State Health Department. pic.twitter.com/F5JKAJmrnZ — ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2020 × Mumbai reported 1,046 new COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 101,224 and 5,711 deaths. Number of active cases stands at 23,828. Also read: Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases in India; IMA terms it onset of community spread West Bengal reported 2,278 new cases, taking the total number of cases to 42,487. Death toll now stands at 1112 after 36 deaths were reported today. India's national capital New Delhi reported 1,211 new cases, 1860 recovered/discharged/migrated and 31 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases is now 122,793 including 1,03,134 recovered/ discharged/ migrated and 3,628 deaths. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest single-day spike of 4,979 new positive cases and 78 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total number of cases rise to 170,693 including 50,294 active cases and 2,481 deaths. Gujarat reported 965 #COVID19 positive cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours. State tally rises to 48,441 including 11,412 active cases, 34,882 cured/discharged and 2,147 deaths. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 as on Sunday with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said. "The total number of recovered cases is 677,422. The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said. The ministry said India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world.

COVID 19: Total recovered cases more than 677,000; Mumbai reports 1,046 cases

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 as on Sunday with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said.

There has been a "sharp increase" of 23,672 COVID-19 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the highest in a day, according to the ministry's updated data updated at 8 AM.

"The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422. The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it.

Proactive measures like aggressive testing and timely diagnosis of the central, state and union territory governments have helped in detecting cases early.

"Effective clinical management of the moderate and severe cases through a well executed standard of care protocol has ensured high rate of recovery among the COVID patients," the ministry said.

Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation.

The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up. The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing.

The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested. A total of 3,58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday.

With a total of 1,37,91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 as on Sunday with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said.

The number of recovered COVID-19 patients exceeds India's active caseload by 3,04,043 as on Sunday with 6.77 lakh people having recuperated from the disease so far, the Union Health Ministry said. There has been a "sharp increase" of 23,672 COVID-19 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the highest in a day, according to the ministry's updated data updated at 8 AM. "The total number of recovered cases is 6,77,422. The recovery rate as of now is at 62.86 per cent," the ministry said. India's COVID-19 case fatality rate is "progressively falling" and is currently at 2.49 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the world, the ministry said on Sunday, crediting efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases for it. Proactive measures like aggressive testing and timely diagnosis of the central, state and union territory governments have helped in detecting cases early. "Effective clinical management of the moderate and severe cases through a well executed standard of care protocol has ensured high rate of recovery among the COVID patients," the ministry said. Medical attention is being provided to all the 3,73,379 active cases, in hospitals and home isolation. The country's testing infrastructure has been substantially ramped up. The testing strategy prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) allows all registered medical practitioners to recommend testing. The Rapid Antigen Point of Care (POC) Test, coupled with the facilitation of widespread gold-standard RT-PCR based testing by states and UTs, has resulted in a surge in the number of samples tested. A total of 3,58,127 samples were tested in on Saturday. With a total of 1,37,91,869 samples tested so far, the testing per million (TPM) for India has reached 9994.1, the ministry said.

India's COVID-19 recovery rate now 62.86 per cent: Health ministry

The Indian-American community could be "an absolute difference maker" in battleground states in the November 3 presidential elections, a top Democratic leader has said.

As a little over 100 days are left for the elections, both the Republican and the Democratic parties are making huge efforts to reach out to the small but influential Indian-American community in some of the key battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Thomas Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, on Saturday said that Michigan has 125,000 Indian-American voters.

"We lost Michigan by 10,700 votes in 2016," he said, referring to the loss of Hillary Clinton, the then Democratic presidential nominee at the hands of President Donald Trump.

"In Pennsylvania, (there are) 156,000 (Indian-American voters). We (Democratic party) lost (presidential elections in) Pennsylvania by 42-43,000 (votes). In Wisconsin (there are) 37,000 (Indian-Americans). We lost Wisconsin by 21,000 (votes) in 2016," said the head of the Democratic party.

"The Indian-American vote, the AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islanders) vote more broadly, can be an absolute difference maker (in the 2020 presidential elections)," Perez said at a virtual event "An Electorate Coming of Age: Indian Americans for Biden', jointly hosted by the South Asians for Biden along with AAPI Victory Fund and Indian-American Impact Fund.

"We are hustling to the finishing line" 108 days till the weekend. Think about those three states alone that I mentioned. The Indian-American votes alone can be the difference in moving forward," Perez said.

Shekar Narasimhan, chairman of AAPI Victory Fund, said that there are 1.3 million potential Indian-American voters in eight battle ground states of Arizona (66,000), Florida (193,000), Georgia (150,000), Michigan (125,000), North Carolina (111,000), Pennsylvania (156,000), Texas (475,000) and Wisconsin (37,000).

In 2016, Narasimhan said 77 per cent of the Indian-American voters polled in favour of Hillary.

"Today in all the polls and surveys, their favorability for Biden over Trump is 2.3 to one, (which) is very close to what it was then (in 2016: 2.4 to one)," he said, asserting that the party can aspire to get 75-80 per cent of the Indian-American votes, if they do the work.

There are 1.3 million Indian-American adult citizens, by definition, who are eligible to vote in these (eight battleground) states, he said.

"It is our goal to deliver one million to actually vote in by November 3, 2020 and vote for a Democrat candidate namely for Joe Biden," Narasimhan said, adding that the information is based on data and latest research prepared by data guru Karthik Ramakrishnan.

"There are sectors of the Indian-American community throughout our country, throughout our battleground states. And we want to make sure we're engaging and connecting directly with you all," senior advisor of "Biden for President' campaign Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in her address to the event attended by over 800 Indian-Americans from across the country.

Amit Jani, the national AAPI director for the Biden campaign, said that the Indian-American community has grown in size, influence and in political and civic involvement. More Indian-Americans are joining politics and government.

"The election in November for the president is going to be historic, and we really need the help and support from the Indian-American community to really make a difference," Jani added.

The Indian-American community could be "an absolute difference maker" in battleground states in the November 3 presidential elections, a top Democratic leader has said.

The Indian-American community could be "an absolute difference maker" in battleground states in the November 3 presidential elections, a top Democratic leader has said. As a little over 100 days are left for the elections, both the Republican and the Democratic parties are making huge efforts to reach out to the small but influential Indian-American community in some of the key battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Thomas Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, on Saturday said that Michigan has 125,000 Indian-American voters. "We lost Michigan by 10,700 votes in 2016," he said, referring to the loss of Hillary Clinton, the then Democratic presidential nominee at the hands of President Donald Trump. "In Pennsylvania, (there are) 156,000 (Indian-American voters). We (Democratic party) lost (presidential elections in) Pennsylvania by 42-43,000 (votes). In Wisconsin (there are) 37,000 (Indian-Americans). We lost Wisconsin by 21,000 (votes) in 2016," said the head of the Democratic party. "The Indian-American vote, the AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islanders) vote more broadly, can be an absolute difference maker (in the 2020 presidential elections)," Perez said at a virtual event "An Electorate Coming of Age: Indian Americans for Biden', jointly hosted by the South Asians for Biden along with AAPI Victory Fund and Indian-American Impact Fund. "We are hustling to the finishing line" 108 days till the weekend. Think about those three states alone that I mentioned. The Indian-American votes alone can be the difference in moving forward," Perez said. Shekar Narasimhan, chairman of AAPI Victory Fund, said that there are 1.3 million potential Indian-American voters in eight battle ground states of Arizona (66,000), Florida (193,000), Georgia (150,000), Michigan (125,000), North Carolina (111,000), Pennsylvania (156,000), Texas (475,000) and Wisconsin (37,000). In 2016, Narasimhan said 77 per cent of the Indian-American voters polled in favour of Hillary. "Today in all the polls and surveys, their favorability for Biden over Trump is 2.3 to one, (which) is very close to what it was then (in 2016: 2.4 to one)," he said, asserting that the party can aspire to get 75-80 per cent of the Indian-American votes, if they do the work. There are 1.3 million Indian-American adult citizens, by definition, who are eligible to vote in these (eight battleground) states, he said. "It is our goal to deliver one million to actually vote in by November 3, 2020 and vote for a Democrat candidate namely for Joe Biden," Narasimhan said, adding that the information is based on data and latest research prepared by data guru Karthik Ramakrishnan. "There are sectors of the Indian-American community throughout our country, throughout our battleground states. And we want to make sure we're engaging and connecting directly with you all," senior advisor of "Biden for President' campaign Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in her address to the event attended by over 800 Indian-Americans from across the country. Amit Jani, the national AAPI director for the Biden campaign, said that the Indian-American community has grown in size, influence and in political and civic involvement. More Indian-Americans are joining politics and government. "The election in November for the president is going to be historic, and we really need the help and support from the Indian-American community to really make a difference," Jani added.

Indian-American voters could make huge difference in battleground states: Top Democratic leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured all support to Assam in dealing with the flood havoc, which has claimed 84 lives so far this year.

Discussing the flood situation with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone, Modi also enquired about the COVID-19 situation in the state and the ongoing efforts to douse the raging blaze at Oil India's Baghjan gas well in Tinsukia district.

"Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji took stock of the contemporary situation regarding #AssamFloods2020, #COVID19 and Baghjan Oil Well fire scenario over phone this morning," Sonowal tweeted.

"Expressing his concern &amp; solidarity with the people, the PM assured all support to the state," he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Hon'ble PM Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji took stock of the contemporary situation regarding <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssamFloods2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AssamFloods2020</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> and Baghjan Oil Well fire scenario over phone this morning. 
 
Expressing his concern &amp; solidarity with the people, the PM assured all support to the state.
— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarbanandsonwal/status/1284724532406710273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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An official at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that Sonowal informed Modi about all the measures the state has taken so far in dealing with the problems faced by the people.

The total number of people losing their lives in flood and landslides in Assam this year is 110. While 84 died in flood-related incidents, landslides claimed 26 lives.

Floods have affected over 25 lakh people in 24 of the 33 districts of Assam and has destroyed houses, crops, roads and bridges at several places.

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured all support to Assam in dealing with the flood havoc, which has claimed 84 lives so far this year. Discussing the flood situation with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone, Modi also enquired about the COVID-19 situation in the state and the ongoing efforts to douse the raging blaze at Oil India's Baghjan gas well in Tinsukia district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured all support to Assam in dealing with the flood havoc, which has claimed 84 lives so far this year. Discussing the flood situation with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone, Modi also enquired about the COVID-19 situation in the state and the ongoing efforts to douse the raging blaze at Oil India's Baghjan gas well in Tinsukia district. "Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji took stock of the contemporary situation regarding #AssamFloods2020, #COVID19 and Baghjan Oil Well fire scenario over phone this morning," Sonowal tweeted. "Expressing his concern & solidarity with the people, the PM assured all support to the state," he said. Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji took stock of the contemporary situation regarding #AssamFloods2020, #COVID19 and Baghjan Oil Well fire scenario over phone this morning. Expressing his concern & solidarity with the people, the PM assured all support to the state. — Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) July 19, 2020 × An official at the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that Sonowal informed Modi about all the measures the state has taken so far in dealing with the problems faced by the people. The total number of people losing their lives in flood and landslides in Assam this year is 110. While 84 died in flood-related incidents, landslides claimed 26 lives. Floods have affected over 25 lakh people in 24 of the 33 districts of Assam and has destroyed houses, crops, roads and bridges at several places.

PM discusses flood situation with Assam CM, assures support

Indian Medical Association (IMA) has observed the community spread of pandemic COVID-19 in India as cases crossed the one million mark. IMA also warned about the spread of the virus in rural areas.

IMA observes community spread in India as COVID-19 cases cross one million mark

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with the chief ministers of seven states over phone regarding "situation" in their states.

These Chief Ministers are Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana), O. Pareerselvam (Tamil Nadu), Jai Ram Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) and Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand).

The Prime Minister, it`s believed, discussed about coronavirus and its handling, flood situation and other issues with them. He talked about state-specific concerns with them, according to sources.

As of today, India has 3,73,379 active Covid-19 cases. Tamil Nadu is one of the key states where Covid-19 is spreading rapidly.

While Assam has been inundated by rivers, Bihar is facing flooding. 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with the chief ministers of seven states over phone regarding "situation" in their states. These Chief Ministers are Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Y.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with the chief ministers of seven states over phone regarding "situation" in their states. These Chief Ministers are Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana), O. Pareerselvam (Tamil Nadu), Jai Ram Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) and Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand). The Prime Minister, it`s believed, discussed about coronavirus and its handling, flood situation and other issues with them. He talked about state-specific concerns with them, according to sources. As of today, India has 3,73,379 active Covid-19 cases. Tamil Nadu is one of the key states where Covid-19 is spreading rapidly. While Assam has been inundated by rivers, Bihar is facing flooding.

COVID-19: PM dials 7 chief ministers to know 'situation' in their states

Tamil Nadu on Sunday recorded&nbsp;a new single day high of 4,979 fresh COVID-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 1.70 lakh while 78 fatalities propelled the death toll to 2,481.

As many as 52,993 COVID samples were tested, the highest so far in a day, and the cumulative tests so far touched 19,32,492, a Health department bulletin said.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the city civic body was the first in the country to have conducted five lakh RT-PCR tests.

Till July 18 from March, five lakh tests were conducted, he said adding sample testing has been increased to 13,000 per day from about 4,500 (in recent times) in the Corporation areas.

Of the dead were two men aged 22 and 37 and two 38- year old women and in total 75 had co-morbidities and 2,481 people have so far succumbed to the virus in Tamil Nadu.

Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur accounted for 1,254 and 405 cases respectively and the rest of the fresh infections were spread across the State.

Tamil Nadu's overall tally stood at 1,70,693 and the state capital's share was 85,859.

As many as 4,059 patients were discharged from various hospitals following treatment and cumulatively 1,17,915 people have got cured and active cases mounted to 50,294.

The number of labs for COVID test increased to 112 with the addition of a government facility in Tiruvannamalai district.

There are 57 labs in government and 55 in the private sector

Tamil Nadu on Sunday recorded a new single day high of 4,979 fresh COVID-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 1.70 lakh while 78 fatalities propelled the death toll to 2,481.

Tamil Nadu on Sunday recorded a new single day high of 4,979 fresh COVID-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 1.70 lakh while 78 fatalities propelled the death toll to 2,481. As many as 52,993 COVID samples were tested, the highest so far in a day, and the cumulative tests so far touched 19,32,492, a Health department bulletin said. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the city civic body was the first in the country to have conducted five lakh RT-PCR tests. Till July 18 from March, five lakh tests were conducted, he said adding sample testing has been increased to 13,000 per day from about 4,500 (in recent times) in the Corporation areas. Of the dead were two men aged 22 and 37 and two 38- year old women and in total 75 had co-morbidities and 2,481 people have so far succumbed to the virus in Tamil Nadu. Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur accounted for 1,254 and 405 cases respectively and the rest of the fresh infections were spread across the State. Tamil Nadu's overall tally stood at 1,70,693 and the state capital's share was 85,859. As many as 4,059 patients were discharged from various hospitals following treatment and cumulatively 1,17,915 people have got cured and active cases mounted to 50,294. The number of labs for COVID test increased to 112 with the addition of a government facility in Tiruvannamalai district. There are 57 labs in government and 55 in the private sector

TN reports new single day high of 4,979 COVID-19 cases as samples tested cross 19.32 lakh

India records single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases

India plans to store its crude oil in US strategic petroleum reserves for use not just during emergencies but also for trading to capture any price advantage, officials said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/biden-as-us-president-would-help-india-get-seat-on-unsc-former-american-diplomat-314422" hreflang="en">Biden as US president would help India get seat on UNSC: Former American diplomat</a>

India and the US on July 17 signed a preliminary agreement for cooperating on emergency crude oil reserves, including the possibility of India storing oil in the US emergency stockpile.

"It is a good concept but comes with a lot of riders," a senior government official said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/trump-considering-indian-american-lawyer-to-head-asia-bureau-of-usaid-314408" hreflang="en">Trump considering Indian-American lawyer to head Asia Bureau of USAID</a>

For one, India will have to pay a rental for hiring the storages in the US. This rental will be on top of the international price for oil.

"The alternative is to build our own strategic reserves which will involve huge capital cost and will take a few years to construct. So the rental is a small fee to pay to get immediate access to a strategic reserve," the official said.

Strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) in the US are built and maintained by private companies.

The oil stored in the US reserves can be used for the nation's own needs or can be traded to capture price advantage, he said adding these two scenarios work when oil prices rise after India has bought and stored oil in US reserves.

"But if the prices fall, you will book losses," he said.

Also, if the sea route is obstructed, having a stockpile in the US will make no difference to India's energy security as the country will not be able to access them, he said. "It takes a month to ship oil from the US."

Storing oil in the US is a kind of physical hedging and all hedging comes with a cost, he said.

More importantly, storing large volumes involves paying upfront on purchase of crude oil and companies will have to block so much capital.

India had begun exploring the possibility of storing oil in the US a few months back but couldn't make much headway as COVID-19 pummelled demand, leading to excess oil around the globe that filled every inch of storage including those on ships.

Demand is returned but is less than pre-Covid levels.

In such a scenario, storing oil in the US would make a lot of sense if India were to hire a strategic facility maintained by an American oil producer.

"The commercial deal can be structured in such a way that we support the US firm to keep producing even when demand falls, and in return get access to its storage," the official said.

On July 17, India and US signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will allow the US to begin sharing with India the knowhow on establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). The pact also allows India to explore the possibility of storing its oil in US SPR, comprising underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana.

US President Donald Trump in March ordered filling the SPR to its full capacity of about 714 million barrels but Congress failed to fund a purchase. 
Speaking to reporters after signing of the MoU, US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had stated that the India pact could mirror a recent plan with

Australia, which in April committed to spending about USD 60 million to build an emergency oil stockpile, first by buying crude to store in the US SPR.

Global oil prices fell steeply earlier this year as shutdowns from the novel coronavirus sapped demand, but have stabilised at around USD 43 a barrel.

"We are in an advanced stage of discussions for storing crude oil US strategic petroleum reserves to increase India's strategic oil stockpile," Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said on Friday after co-chairing the second India-US Strategic Energy Partnership Ministerial with Brouillette.

The US has 714 million barrels of oil storage capacity in its strategic petroleum reserve, the world's largest supply of emergency crude oil.

In comparison, India stores 5.33 million tonnes (about 38 million barrels) of crude oil in underground storages at three locations on the east and west coast, hardly enough to meet its 9.5 days needs.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) prescribes its members to have at least 90 days of stock in the strategic reserves.

India has been looking to expand the storage capacity by another 6.5 million tonnes and is also exploring the possibility of hiring storage in the US to stock some oil that can be used in times of extreme price volatility or supply disruption.

India is the fourth-largest export destination for US crude.

"Between 2017 and last year, US crude oil exports to India rose by nearly 10-folds to almost 2,50,000 barrels per day. Between March 2016 and May of this year, 68 LNG shipments of over 234 billion cubic feet were exported to India," Brouillette had said on Friday.

The US is India's sixth-largest oil supplier.

India began importing crude oil from the US in 2017 as it looked to diversify its import basket beyond the OPEC nations. It bought 1.9 million tonnes (38,000 bpd) of crude oil from the US in 2017-18 and another 6.2 million tonnes (1,24,000 bpd) in 2018-19.

The volume that Brouillette talked about translates into 12.5 million tonnes of oil imports in a year.

India, which is 85 per cent dependent on imports to meet its oil needs, bought 101.4 million tonnes of crude oil from overseas during April 2019 to March 2020.

India plans to store its crude oil in US strategic petroleum reserves for use not just during emergencies but also for trading to capture any price advantage, officials said.

India plans to store its crude oil in US strategic petroleum reserves for use not just during emergencies but also for trading to capture any price advantage, officials said. Also read: Biden as US president would help India get seat on UNSC: Former American diplomat India and the US on July 17 signed a preliminary agreement for cooperating on emergency crude oil reserves, including the possibility of India storing oil in the US emergency stockpile. "It is a good concept but comes with a lot of riders," a senior government official said. Also read: Trump considering Indian-American lawyer to head Asia Bureau of USAID For one, India will have to pay a rental for hiring the storages in the US. This rental will be on top of the international price for oil. "The alternative is to build our own strategic reserves which will involve huge capital cost and will take a few years to construct. So the rental is a small fee to pay to get immediate access to a strategic reserve," the official said. Strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) in the US are built and maintained by private companies. The oil stored in the US reserves can be used for the nation's own needs or can be traded to capture price advantage, he said adding these two scenarios work when oil prices rise after India has bought and stored oil in US reserves. "But if the prices fall, you will book losses," he said. Also, if the sea route is obstructed, having a stockpile in the US will make no difference to India's energy security as the country will not be able to access them, he said. "It takes a month to ship oil from the US." Storing oil in the US is a kind of physical hedging and all hedging comes with a cost, he said. More importantly, storing large volumes involves paying upfront on purchase of crude oil and companies will have to block so much capital. India had begun exploring the possibility of storing oil in the US a few months back but couldn't make much headway as COVID-19 pummelled demand, leading to excess oil around the globe that filled every inch of storage including those on ships. Demand is returned but is less than pre-Covid levels. In such a scenario, storing oil in the US would make a lot of sense if India were to hire a strategic facility maintained by an American oil producer. "The commercial deal can be structured in such a way that we support the US firm to keep producing even when demand falls, and in return get access to its storage," the official said. On July 17, India and US signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will allow the US to begin sharing with India the knowhow on establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). The pact also allows India to explore the possibility of storing its oil in US SPR, comprising underground caverns in Texas and Louisiana. US President Donald Trump in March ordered filling the SPR to its full capacity of about 714 million barrels but Congress failed to fund a purchase. Speaking to reporters after signing of the MoU, US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had stated that the India pact could mirror a recent plan with Australia, which in April committed to spending about USD 60 million to build an emergency oil stockpile, first by buying crude to store in the US SPR. Global oil prices fell steeply earlier this year as shutdowns from the novel coronavirus sapped demand, but have stabilised at around USD 43 a barrel. "We are in an advanced stage of discussions for storing crude oil US strategic petroleum reserves to increase India's strategic oil stockpile," Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said on Friday after co-chairing the second India-US Strategic Energy Partnership Ministerial with Brouillette. The US has 714 million barrels of oil storage capacity in its strategic petroleum reserve, the world's largest supply of emergency crude oil. In comparison, India stores 5.33 million tonnes (about 38 million barrels) of crude oil in underground storages at three locations on the east and west coast, hardly enough to meet its 9.5 days needs. The International Energy Agency (IEA) prescribes its members to have at least 90 days of stock in the strategic reserves. India has been looking to expand the storage capacity by another 6.5 million tonnes and is also exploring the possibility of hiring storage in the US to stock some oil that can be used in times of extreme price volatility or supply disruption. India is the fourth-largest export destination for US crude. "Between 2017 and last year, US crude oil exports to India rose by nearly 10-folds to almost 2,50,000 barrels per day. Between March 2016 and May of this year, 68 LNG shipments of over 234 billion cubic feet were exported to India," Brouillette had said on Friday. The US is India's sixth-largest oil supplier. India began importing crude oil from the US in 2017 as it looked to diversify its import basket beyond the OPEC nations. It bought 1.9 million tonnes (38,000 bpd) of crude oil from the US in 2017-18 and another 6.2 million tonnes (1,24,000 bpd) in 2018-19. The volume that Brouillette talked about translates into 12.5 million tonnes of oil imports in a year. India, which is 85 per cent dependent on imports to meet its oil needs, bought 101.4 million tonnes of crude oil from overseas during April 2019 to March 2020.

India to store its crude oil in US' strategic petroleum reserves

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed officials to properly verify COVID-free certificates of tourists coming into the state. The instruction came after some tourists provided fake COVID-free certificates.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/courts-in-india-have-rapidly-adopted-digital-technology-amid-covid-19-ravi-shankar-prasad-314420" hreflang="en">Courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technology amid COVID-19: Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>

According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister`s Office (CMO), "Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that it has come to our knowledge that some tourists have come to our state with fake COVID-free certificates."

"All officers are directed to ensure proper checking of the certificates of all tourists while also seeing that no tourist faces problems," it added.

According to the Union Health Ministry, there are a total of 4,276 cases of coronavirus in the state so far. While the active cases stand at 1,143, the numbers of patients cured or discharged are 3,081. The death toll due to the infection in the state is at 52.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed officials to properly verify COVID-free certificates of tourists coming into the state. The instruction came after some tourists provided fake COVID-free certificates.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed officials to properly verify COVID-free certificates of tourists coming into the state. The instruction came after some tourists provided fake COVID-free certificates. Also read: Courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technology amid COVID-19: Ravi Shankar Prasad According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister`s Office (CMO), "Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that it has come to our knowledge that some tourists have come to our state with fake COVID-free certificates." "All officers are directed to ensure proper checking of the certificates of all tourists while also seeing that no tourist faces problems," it added. According to the Union Health Ministry, there are a total of 4,276 cases of coronavirus in the state so far. While the active cases stand at 1,143, the numbers of patients cured or discharged are 3,081. The death toll due to the infection in the state is at 52.

Uttarakhand CM directs officials to verify COVID-free certificates of tourists entering state

Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, if elected to power in the November elections, will help shape international bodies like the United Nations so that India get a permanent seat on the Security Council, a former top American diplomat has said.

India has been pushing for reforms of the United Nations, including the Security Council, stating that its composition doesn't reflect the current realities and is not representative enough.

The UNSC has 15 members, including five permanent members -- the US, the UK, France, Russia and China. China is the only permanent member of the UNSC which is opposed to India's inclusion into the powerful grouping. Half of the 10 non-permanent members are elected every year for a two-year term. India, along with Mexico and Ireland, has been recently elected a non-permanent member for a two-year term starting January 1, 2021.

"There's no question that under his (Biden) leadership, he would help shape international institutions like the UN to give India a (permanent) seat on the Security Council, he would fulfil its (India) status as a major defence partner," former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Saturday.

"He (Biden) would work together with India to keep our citizens collectively safe. That means standing up against cross-border terrorism and standing with India when its neighbours attempt to change the status quo," he added.

Verma, an Indian-American who was US ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017, joined three other prominent Indian-Americans to make a strong pitch for the small but highly influential community to support and vote for Biden in the US presidential elections.

The 77-year-old former US vice president is set to be formally nominated by the Democratic Party in August. He will challenge 74-year-old incumbent President Donald Trump, a Republican in the November 3 presidential elections.

Verma, Biden Unity Task Force Economic Policy advisor Sonal Shah, former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy and Centre for American Progress Action Fund CEO Neera Tanden in their address to a virtual event argued that over the past several decades, Biden has a proven track record of being the best friend of Indians and Indian-Americans, be it as a Senator from Delaware or as a vice president under the Obama administration.

"There's no question president Biden would build a more inclusive, tolerant just and fair administration that would take US-India relations to new heights," Verma said at the event -- 'An Electorate Coming of Age: Indian Americans for Biden Community Town Hall'.

He urged the Indian-American community to make Biden's dream of making India and the US the two closet nations in the world a reality.

"I can confidently say, there would have been no US India Civil Nuclear Deal but for Joe Biden," Verma said.

"In 2006, I remember the remarks he made where he said, 'My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States. If that occurs, the world will be safer.' Think about that for a second. He made those remarks in 2006. And here we are, it's 2020. Let's make Joe Biden's dream a reality. That only becomes a reality if he becomes president," he said.

In her address, Neera Tanden urged Indian-Americans to take steps every day over the next three-and-a-half months to ensure that Biden becomes the president.

Sonal Shah said she will vote for Biden as she wants a country that is open to people like her, to her friends, to her colleagues and to everyone else.

"We are not just immigrants, we are not just people sitting on the side, we are part of that American fabric and welcome us to help create that fabric because we've been lucky enough to be able to do that. But it took people like Joe Biden to allow us and help us participate and give us those chances. We've benefited from that. So now I vote because I believe he is the right person, and we can build that country together with him," she said.

According to Dr Murthy, Biden's recognition and appreciation for immigrants and for communities like Indian-Americans is forming an incredibly important part of the backbone of the United States of America.

"This is a moment for our country when leadership matters, when values matter. When we go to the voting booth, as we think about how to build support for the candidate that will best reflect our vision and our hopes and our dreams. Let's lead with our values. Let's vote for the person who understands us," he said at the event organised jointly by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) for Biden, the AAPI Victory Fund and South Asians for Biden.

Later in a statement, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, who is on National Finance Committee for Biden, said, "Most Indian-Americans would say without hesitation that Biden would be a better president and world leader and better for India on all counts."

"The choice is clear for voting in November 2020. The choice is even clearer for Indo Americans and South Asians. Biden is the best answer for India and Indian-Americans. The Indian community sees him as one of 'our' leaders," he said.

Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, if elected to power in the November elections, will help shape international bodies like the United Nations so that India get a permanent seat on the Security Council, a former top American diplomat has said.

Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, if elected to power in the November elections, will help shape international bodies like the United Nations so that India get a permanent seat on the Security Council, a former top American diplomat has said. India has been pushing for reforms of the United Nations, including the Security Council, stating that its composition doesn't reflect the current realities and is not representative enough. The UNSC has 15 members, including five permanent members -- the US, the UK, France, Russia and China. China is the only permanent member of the UNSC which is opposed to India's inclusion into the powerful grouping. Half of the 10 non-permanent members are elected every year for a two-year term. India, along with Mexico and Ireland, has been recently elected a non-permanent member for a two-year term starting January 1, 2021. "There's no question that under his (Biden) leadership, he would help shape international institutions like the UN to give India a (permanent) seat on the Security Council, he would fulfil its (India) status as a major defence partner," former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Saturday. "He (Biden) would work together with India to keep our citizens collectively safe. That means standing up against cross-border terrorism and standing with India when its neighbours attempt to change the status quo," he added. Verma, an Indian-American who was US ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017, joined three other prominent Indian-Americans to make a strong pitch for the small but highly influential community to support and vote for Biden in the US presidential elections. The 77-year-old former US vice president is set to be formally nominated by the Democratic Party in August. He will challenge 74-year-old incumbent President Donald Trump, a Republican in the November 3 presidential elections. Verma, Biden Unity Task Force Economic Policy advisor Sonal Shah, former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy and Centre for American Progress Action Fund CEO Neera Tanden in their address to a virtual event argued that over the past several decades, Biden has a proven track record of being the best friend of Indians and Indian-Americans, be it as a Senator from Delaware or as a vice president under the Obama administration. "There's no question president Biden would build a more inclusive, tolerant just and fair administration that would take US-India relations to new heights," Verma said at the event -- 'An Electorate Coming of Age: Indian Americans for Biden Community Town Hall'. He urged the Indian-American community to make Biden's dream of making India and the US the two closet nations in the world a reality. "I can confidently say, there would have been no US India Civil Nuclear Deal but for Joe Biden," Verma said. "In 2006, I remember the remarks he made where he said, 'My dream is that in 2020, the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States. If that occurs, the world will be safer.' Think about that for a second. He made those remarks in 2006. And here we are, it's 2020. Let's make Joe Biden's dream a reality. That only becomes a reality if he becomes president," he said. In her address, Neera Tanden urged Indian-Americans to take steps every day over the next three-and-a-half months to ensure that Biden becomes the president. Sonal Shah said she will vote for Biden as she wants a country that is open to people like her, to her friends, to her colleagues and to everyone else. "We are not just immigrants, we are not just people sitting on the side, we are part of that American fabric and welcome us to help create that fabric because we've been lucky enough to be able to do that. But it took people like Joe Biden to allow us and help us participate and give us those chances. We've benefited from that. So now I vote because I believe he is the right person, and we can build that country together with him," she said. According to Dr Murthy, Biden's recognition and appreciation for immigrants and for communities like Indian-Americans is forming an incredibly important part of the backbone of the United States of America. "This is a moment for our country when leadership matters, when values matter. When we go to the voting booth, as we think about how to build support for the candidate that will best reflect our vision and our hopes and our dreams. Let's lead with our values. Let's vote for the person who understands us," he said at the event organised jointly by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) for Biden, the AAPI Victory Fund and South Asians for Biden. Later in a statement, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, who is on National Finance Committee for Biden, said, "Most Indian-Americans would say without hesitation that Biden would be a better president and world leader and better for India on all counts." "The choice is clear for voting in November 2020. The choice is even clearer for Indo Americans and South Asians. Biden is the best answer for India and Indian-Americans. The Indian community sees him as one of 'our' leaders," he said.

Biden as US president would help India get seat on UNSC: Former American diplomat

In the wake of the rising cases of coronavirus in the state, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday urged people to abide by the social distancing norms and take all precautionary measures to contain its spread.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/record-single-day-spike-of-38902-covid-19-cases-in-india-ima-terms-it-onset-of-community-spread-314392" hreflang="en">Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases in India; IMA terms it onset of community spread</a>

"PANDEMIC COVID-19 challenge is on rise. As figures of Covid-19 +ve and Deaths @MamataOfficial rise I appeal CALM and URGE to give 100% in observing:- *SOCIAL DISTANCING *WEARING MASK *REGULAR HAND WASH ...TIME TO HAND HOLD NEEDY. No scope for complacency at any level," he tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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PANDEMIC COVID-19 challenge is on rise. 
 
As figures of Covid-19 +ve and Deaths <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MamataOfficial</a> rise I appeal CALM and URGE to give 100% in observing:- 
 
•SOCIAL DISTANCING 
•WEARING MASK 
•REGULAR HAND WASH 
 
TIME TO HAND HOLD NEEDY. 
 
No scope for complacency at any level.
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) <a href="https://twitter.com/jdhankhar1/status/1284661214291783682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He also tagged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the tweet. According to the Health Ministry, West Bengal so far has recorded as many as 40,209 cases of coronavirus.

Out of the total,15,594 are active cases, 23,539 have been migrated/cured/discharged. Around 1,076 have died in the state after contracting the infection.

In the wake of the rising cases of coronavirus in the state, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday urged people to abide by the social distancing norms and take all precautionary measures to contain its spread.

In the wake of the rising cases of coronavirus in the state, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday urged people to abide by the social distancing norms and take all precautionary measures to contain its spread. Also read: Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases in India; IMA terms it onset of community spread "PANDEMIC COVID-19 challenge is on rise. As figures of Covid-19 +ve and Deaths @MamataOfficial rise I appeal CALM and URGE to give 100% in observing:- *SOCIAL DISTANCING *WEARING MASK *REGULAR HAND WASH ...TIME TO HAND HOLD NEEDY. No scope for complacency at any level," he tweeted. PANDEMIC COVID-19 challenge is on rise. As figures of Covid-19 +ve and Deaths @MamataOfficial rise I appeal CALM and URGE to give 100% in observing:- •SOCIAL DISTANCING •WEARING MASK •REGULAR HAND WASH TIME TO HAND HOLD NEEDY. No scope for complacency at any level. — Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) July 19, 2020 × He also tagged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the tweet. According to the Health Ministry, West Bengal so far has recorded as many as 40,209 cases of coronavirus. Out of the total,15,594 are active cases, 23,539 have been migrated/cured/discharged. Around 1,076 have died in the state after contracting the infection.

West Bengal Governor urges people to follow health norms to contain COVID-19

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday appreciated the adoption of digital and virtual hearings held in the Supreme Court, High Courts and various subordinate courts across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"During this COVID19 pandemic courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technologies. Break up of digital hearing of cases done by the Courts: Supreme Court- 7,800 cases. High Courts- 1.75 lakh cases. Subordinate Courts- 7.34 Lakh cases," the Minister tweeted.Prasad also shared a video of the same in which he shared the numbers of cases taken by courts in virtual hearings.

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During this COVID19 pandemic courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technologies. Break up of digital hearing of cases done by the Courts: 
Supreme Court- 7,800 cases 
High Courts- 1.75 lakh cases 
Subordinate Courts- 7.34 Lakh cases. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DigitalIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DigitalIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/2OaIAmayor">pic.twitter.com/2OaIAmayor</a>
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/1284707351467966464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He said the digital infrastructure of India has helped to provide a variety of e-governance and direct transfer services during the coronavirus pandemic, with courts handling lakhs of cases through digital hearing.

With the highest single-day spike of 38,902 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India`s total COVID-19 tally on Sunday reached 10,77,618.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday appreciated the adoption of digital and virtual hearings held in the Supreme Court, High Courts and various subordinate courts across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday appreciated the adoption of digital and virtual hearings held in the Supreme Court, High Courts and various subordinate courts across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. "During this COVID19 pandemic courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technologies. Break up of digital hearing of cases done by the Courts: Supreme Court- 7,800 cases. High Courts- 1.75 lakh cases. Subordinate Courts- 7.34 Lakh cases," the Minister tweeted.Prasad also shared a video of the same in which he shared the numbers of cases taken by courts in virtual hearings. During this COVID19 pandemic courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technologies. Break up of digital hearing of cases done by the Courts: Supreme Court- 7,800 cases High Courts- 1.75 lakh cases Subordinate Courts- 7.34 Lakh cases. #DigitalIndia pic.twitter.com/2OaIAmayor — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) July 19, 2020 × He said the digital infrastructure of India has helped to provide a variety of e-governance and direct transfer services during the coronavirus pandemic, with courts handling lakhs of cases through digital hearing. With the highest single-day spike of 38,902 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India`s total COVID-19 tally on Sunday reached 10,77,618.

Courts in India have rapidly adopted digital technology amid COVID-19: Ravi Shankar Prasad

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Friday began hearing a petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs, challenging the disqualification notices issued by the assembly Speaker.

The notices had asked the MLAs to respond by Friday to the Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-political-crisis-sachin-pilot-moves-hc-against-disqualification-notices-313782">Rajasthan political crisis: Sachin Pilot moves HC against disqualification notices</a>

Speaker CP Joshi is expected to take up the matter at 5 pm, instead of 1 pm as mentioned in the notices.

The dissidents' petition first came up before Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on Thursday, but their advocate Harish Salve sought time to file a fresh petition. Later, in the evening, the petition was referred to a division bench.

On Friday, the petition was taken up a by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta.

The bench accepted a plea by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi to include him as a respondent in the case.

The notices were served after the party complained to the Speaker that the MLAs had defied a whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings, on Monday and Tuesday.

The Pilot camp, however, argues that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session.

In its complaint to the Speaker, the Congress had sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under paragraph 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

The provision disqualifies MLAs if they "voluntarily"&nbsp;give up the membership of the party which they represent in the House.

Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the president of the state unit of the party after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot 
&nbsp;

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Friday began hearing a petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs, challenging the disqualification notices issued by the assembly Speaker.

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Friday began hearing a petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs, challenging the disqualification notices issued by the assembly Speaker. The notices had asked the MLAs to respond by Friday to the Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly. Also read | Rajasthan political crisis: Sachin Pilot moves HC against disqualification notices Speaker CP Joshi is expected to take up the matter at 5 pm, instead of 1 pm as mentioned in the notices. The dissidents' petition first came up before Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on Thursday, but their advocate Harish Salve sought time to file a fresh petition. Later, in the evening, the petition was referred to a division bench. On Friday, the petition was taken up a by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta. The bench accepted a plea by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi to include him as a respondent in the case. The notices were served after the party complained to the Speaker that the MLAs had defied a whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings, on Monday and Tuesday. The Pilot camp, however, argues that a party whip applies only when the assembly is in session. In its complaint to the Speaker, the Congress had sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under paragraph 2 (1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The provision disqualifies MLAs if they "voluntarily" give up the membership of the party which they represent in the House. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the president of the state unit of the party after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan: HC hears Sachin Pilot's camp; Speaker likely to take up matter

Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states.

According to scientists, &nbsp;vulnerability in the research means the risk of consequences of infection, including spread, morbidity, mortality, and social and economic effects of the pandemic.

The study noted that among 30 large states, nine states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat, have high vulnerability to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-records-spike-of-34884-covid-19-cases-total-count-reaches-1038716-314189" hreflang="en">India records spike of 34,884 COVID-19 cases; total count reaches 10,38,716</a>

Madhya Pradesh had an overall vulnerability score of one, making it the most vulnerable, and Sikkim on the other end with a score of zero was noted to be the least vulnerable.

Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were two other states on the lower overall vulnerability end of the scale.

It rated the vulnerabilities of the states to the pandemic on a scale from zero to one, measured using 15 indicators across five domains: socioeconomic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological, and health system. It used a percentile ranking method to compute both domain-specific and overall vulnerability and presented results spatially with number of positive COVID-19 cases in districts.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-global-vaccine-race-intensifies-india-has-a-crucial-responsibility-314109" hreflang="en">As global vaccine race intensifies, India has a crucial responsibility</a>

"Our index aims to help planners and policy makers effectively prioritise regions for resource allocation and adopt risk mitigation strategies for better preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 epidemic," the scientists said.

In the study, they identified a number of vulnerable districts in India, which currently do not have large numbers of COVID-19 cases but could be strongly impacted by the pandemic. 
 
"Although our intention was not to predict the risk of infection for a district or a state, we observed similarities between vulnerability and the current concentration of COVID-19 cases at the state level," they wrote in the study.

The aim of the index, as per Rajib Acharya from the Population Council, New Delhi, is to provide a tool to identify districts that are vulnerable to the consequences of the infection, including spread, morbidity and mortality and social and economic consequences.

"A state may be low in overall vulnerability but may be high on a particular domain,"&nbsp;Acharya said.

According to the researcher, some of the significant findings include that out of 100 most vulnerable districts 33 are from UP, 24 from Bihar and 20 from Madhya Pradesh.

"These states have not detected as many cases proportional to their population size as yet (there may be many reasons for that including number of tests they are performing) but are highly vulnerable to higher mortality (because of lack of health facilities), for example," Acharya said.

The scientists said the relationship between COVID-19 vulnerability and the indicators was not clear for districts, adding that better data collection at this regional level can help make more refined evaluations of vulnerability in their respective states.

They also added that data used in the study are two to five years old and might not have captured vulnerability well in districts in which rapid changes have occurred up to the present day.

"I wanted to say the study is not for academic purpose. The index should be put in use by the government. At the Population Council we are ready to help government with such useful tools," Acharya added.

Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states.

Districts in Madhya Pradesh may be the most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by those in Bihar and Telangana, according to a study in The Lancet journal which assessed several key indicators like housing, hygiene, and the health system in these states. According to scientists, vulnerability in the research means the risk of consequences of infection, including spread, morbidity, mortality, and social and economic effects of the pandemic. The study noted that among 30 large states, nine states including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Gujarat, have high vulnerability to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also read: India records spike of 34,884 COVID-19 cases; total count reaches 10,38,716 Madhya Pradesh had an overall vulnerability score of one, making it the most vulnerable, and Sikkim on the other end with a score of zero was noted to be the least vulnerable. Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were two other states on the lower overall vulnerability end of the scale. It rated the vulnerabilities of the states to the pandemic on a scale from zero to one, measured using 15 indicators across five domains: socioeconomic, demographic, housing and hygiene, epidemiological, and health system. It used a percentile ranking method to compute both domain-specific and overall vulnerability and presented results spatially with number of positive COVID-19 cases in districts. Also read: As global vaccine race intensifies, India has a crucial responsibility "Our index aims to help planners and policy makers effectively prioritise regions for resource allocation and adopt risk mitigation strategies for better preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 epidemic," the scientists said. In the study, they identified a number of vulnerable districts in India, which currently do not have large numbers of COVID-19 cases but could be strongly impacted by the pandemic. "Although our intention was not to predict the risk of infection for a district or a state, we observed similarities between vulnerability and the current concentration of COVID-19 cases at the state level," they wrote in the study. The aim of the index, as per Rajib Acharya from the Population Council, New Delhi, is to provide a tool to identify districts that are vulnerable to the consequences of the infection, including spread, morbidity and mortality and social and economic consequences. "A state may be low in overall vulnerability but may be high on a particular domain," Acharya said. According to the researcher, some of the significant findings include that out of 100 most vulnerable districts 33 are from UP, 24 from Bihar and 20 from Madhya Pradesh. "These states have not detected as many cases proportional to their population size as yet (there may be many reasons for that including number of tests they are performing) but are highly vulnerable to higher mortality (because of lack of health facilities), for example," Acharya said. The scientists said the relationship between COVID-19 vulnerability and the indicators was not clear for districts, adding that better data collection at this regional level can help make more refined evaluations of vulnerability in their respective states. They also added that data used in the study are two to five years old and might not have captured vulnerability well in districts in which rapid changes have occurred up to the present day. "I wanted to say the study is not for academic purpose. The index should be put in use by the government. At the Population Council we are ready to help government with such useful tools," Acharya added.

Indian states Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana most vulnerable to coronavirus: Study

A spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours, has pushed India's COVID-19 caseload to 10,38,716 on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.&nbsp;

The total number of cases include 3,58,692 active cases, 6,53,751 cured/discharged/migrated, and 26,273 deaths, the Health Ministry informed.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-global-vaccine-race-intensifies-india-has-a-crucial-responsibility-314109" hreflang="en">As global vaccine race intensifies, India has a crucial responsibility</a>

As per the Ministry, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state from the deadly virus, has a total of 2,92,589 coronavirus cases and 11,452 fatalities.

While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,60,907 cases and 2,315 deaths due to COVID-19, Delhi has reported a total of 1,20,107 cases and 3,571 deaths due to the virus.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 17, of these 3,61,024 samples were tested yesterday.&nbsp;

A spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours, has pushed India's COVID-19 caseload to 10,38,716 on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours, has pushed India's COVID-19 caseload to 10,38,716 on Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of cases include 3,58,692 active cases, 6,53,751 cured/discharged/migrated, and 26,273 deaths, the Health Ministry informed. Also read: As global vaccine race intensifies, India has a crucial responsibility As per the Ministry, Maharashtra, the worst-affected state from the deadly virus, has a total of 2,92,589 coronavirus cases and 11,452 fatalities. While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,60,907 cases and 2,315 deaths due to COVID-19, Delhi has reported a total of 1,20,107 cases and 3,571 deaths due to the virus. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 1,34,33,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 17, of these 3,61,024 samples were tested yesterday.

India records spike of 34,884 COVID-19 cases; total count reaches 10,38,716

India reported a spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths on Saturday morning, taking the toll to&nbsp;10,38,716,&nbsp;according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.&nbsp;

The national capital Delhi reported&nbsp;1,475 positive cases, 1,973 recovered/discharged/migrated and 26 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases here now rises to 1,21,582 including 1,01,274 recovered/ discharged/ migrated and 3,597 deaths.

A total of&nbsp;6,246 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 15412 Rapid antigen tests were conducted in the past 24 hours. A total of 7,98,783 tests have been done so far, as reported by the Government of Delhi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-records-spike-of-34884-covid-19-cases-total-count-reaches-1038716-314189">Also read:&nbsp;India records spike of 34,884 COVID-19 cases; total count reaches 10,38,716</a>

Tamil Nadu, the worst affected South Indian state, reported&nbsp;4,807 new positive case, 88 deaths. A total of 3,049 people discharged. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 165,714 including 2,403 deaths and 1,13,856 discharged patients.

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Number of COVID-19 cases rises to 1,457 in Himachal Pradesh out of which 401 cases are active. Number of fatalities stands at nine: State Health Department
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1284519614106316800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Maharashtra reported&nbsp;8,348 new positive cases, 144 deaths and 5,307 discharged in Maharashtra today. The total number of positive cases in the state has increased to 3,00,937 including 1,65,663 discharged and 11,596 deaths.

Maharashtra's capital city, Mumbai,&nbsp;reported 1,199 new COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,00,178 and 5,647 deaths. Number of active cases now stands at 24,039, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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711 new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> positive cases, 7 deaths, 518 recovered and 453 discharged in Rajasthan today. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 28,500 including 553 deaths, 21,144 recovered and 20,459 discharged: State health department <a href="https://t.co/ovrD9zNbH7">pic.twitter.com/ovrD9zNbH7</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1284519894734667776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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West&nbsp;Bengal recorded&nbsp;2,198 new cases and 27 deaths in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 40,209 including 23,539 recoveries and 1,076 deaths. Recovery rate among COVID-19 patients stands at 58.54 per cent, and 6,89,813 samples have been tested so far in the state.

Karnataka reported 4,537 new positive cases and 93 deaths. The total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 59,652 including 21,775 discharged and 1,240 deaths. A total of&nbsp;1,018 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours in the state, as per the&nbsp;Governmet of Karnataka, Dept of Health and Family Welfare.

India reported a spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths on Saturday morning, taking the toll to 10,38,716, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India reported a spike of 34,884 fresh infections and 671 deaths on Saturday morning, taking the toll to 10,38,716, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The national capital Delhi reported 1,475 positive cases, 1,973 recovered/discharged/migrated and 26 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases here now rises to 1,21,582 including 1,01,274 recovered/ discharged/ migrated and 3,597 deaths. A total of 6,246 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 15412 Rapid antigen tests were conducted in the past 24 hours. A total of 7,98,783 tests have been done so far, as reported by the Government of Delhi. Also read: India records spike of 34,884 COVID-19 cases; total count reaches 10,38,716 Tamil Nadu, the worst affected South Indian state, reported 4,807 new positive case, 88 deaths. A total of 3,049 people discharged. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 165,714 including 2,403 deaths and 1,13,856 discharged patients. Number of COVID-19 cases rises to 1,457 in Himachal Pradesh out of which 401 cases are active. Number of fatalities stands at nine: State Health Department — ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2020 × Maharashtra reported 8,348 new positive cases, 144 deaths and 5,307 discharged in Maharashtra today. The total number of positive cases in the state has increased to 3,00,937 including 1,65,663 discharged and 11,596 deaths. Maharashtra's capital city, Mumbai, reported 1,199 new COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 1,00,178 and 5,647 deaths. Number of active cases now stands at 24,039, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 711 new #COVID19 positive cases, 7 deaths, 518 recovered and 453 discharged in Rajasthan today. The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 28,500 including 553 deaths, 21,144 recovered and 20,459 discharged: State health department pic.twitter.com/ovrD9zNbH7 — ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2020 × West Bengal recorded 2,198 new cases and 27 deaths in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 40,209 including 23,539 recoveries and 1,076 deaths. Recovery rate among COVID-19 patients stands at 58.54 per cent, and 6,89,813 samples have been tested so far in the state. Karnataka reported 4,537 new positive cases and 93 deaths. The total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 59,652 including 21,775 discharged and 1,240 deaths. A total of 1,018 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours in the state, as per the Governmet of Karnataka, Dept of Health and Family Welfare.

COVID 19: Maharashtra reports 8,348 new cases; Tamil Nadu crosses 165,000 mark

Gujarat`s COVID-19 tally rose to 47,476 on Saturday after it reported a record single-day spike of 960 cases, while the death toll jumped to 2,127 with 19 more deaths, health officials said.

Gujarat`s COVID-19 tally rose to 47,476 on Saturday after it reported a record single-day spike of 960 cases, while the death toll jumped to 2,127 with 19 more deaths, health officials said. As many as 1,061 patients were discharged in the state on Saturday, taking the total number of recoveries to 34,005. Gujarat has witnessed nearly 15,000 coronavirus positive cases within eighteen days of July, almost every day with a new record. With an average of almost 824 cases daily, the state has registered 14,833 positive cases in eighteen days of the month. Surat, the new COVID hotspot has also been witnessing each day with a higher count than the previous day. Registering nearly 28 per cent of Saturday`s positive cases, Surat recorded 268 cases, while, Ahmedabad saw 201 cases coming up. Ahmedabad was followed by Vadodara 78, Rajkot 57, Junagadh 40, Bhavnagar 36, Gandhinagar 28, Mehsana 24, Banaskantha 21, Valsad 19, Navsari 17, Kheda, Patan and Surendranagar with 15 each, Bharuch 13, Sabarkantha 12, Gir-Somnath 11, Amreli, Dahod, Kutch and Jamnagar with 10 each, Panchmahals 8, Anand, Botad and Mahisagar with 7 each, Chhota Udepur and Narmada with 6 each, Aravali and Morbi with 4 each, Tapi 2 and Dang with one positive case. After Friday`s 17 casualties, Gujarat saw 19 casualties reported on Saturday, where ten patients died in Surat, four in Ahmedabad, two in Kutch and one patient each died in Banaskantha, Navsari and Rajkot due to COVID-19. The total number of Corona deaths in Ahmedabad have reached 1,547. 253 have died in Surat, 57 in Vadodara, 37 in Gandhinagar, 24 in Aravalli, 20 in Patan, 17 deaths in Rajkot, 16 deaths each in Panchmahals, Banaskantha and Bhavnagar, 14 deaths each in Mahesana and Kheda, 13 deaths in Anand and 11 have died in Bharuch.

Gujarat records highest single-day spike of 960 COVID-19 cases

Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police official said.

He said the search operation led to an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, drawing retaliation.

Three militants were killed in the gunfight, the official said.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants were being ascertained, he said, adding the operation was continuing.

On Friday, three militants, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police official said.

Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said. Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police official said. He said the search operation led to an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, drawing retaliation. Three militants were killed in the gunfight, the official said. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants were being ascertained, he said, adding the operation was continuing. On Friday, three militants, including a self-styled top commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Three militants killed in encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US&nbsp;Transportation Department said on Friday.

The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US&nbsp;Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India.

The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India.&nbsp;

A group representing major US&nbsp;airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday.

India`s Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France &amp; Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries."

"Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from &amp; to India along with Indian carriers."

The US&nbsp;Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US&nbsp;airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US&nbsp;carriers for charter operations, it added.

The US&nbsp;government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday.

The government of India has agreed to allow U.S. air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday. The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India. The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India. A group representing major US airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday. India`s Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries." "Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from & to India along with Indian carriers." The US Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US carriers for charter operations, it added. The US government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.

US passenger flights to India can resume starting July 23

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