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India's sports minister on Sunday said Indian Premier League would go ahead only if there was no risk to public health. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said a decision in this connection will be taken by the government, not the Indian cricket board, and would be based on how well the country has contained the novel coronavirus.

India's sports minister on Sunday said Indian Premier League would go ahead only if there was no risk to public health. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said a decision in this connection will be taken by the government, not the Indian cricket board, and would be based on how well the country has contained the novel coronavirus. "In India the government has to take a call and it will be depending on the situation of the pandemic, how we progress as a nation," Rijiju told the India Today television channel. "We can't put health of the nation at risk just because we want sporting events to be held. Our focus is fighting COVID-19." The IPL is worth almost $530 million to the BCCI and attracts the best international and Indian cricketers, according to Reuters. It was scheduled to start at the end of March but was indefinitely postponed because of the pandemic. India has reported 131,868 infections from the new coronavirus, with 3,867 deaths.

Indian government to decide fate of IPL, not cricket board: Minister

India reported the highest-ever daily spike of 6,767 cases of Covid-19 today as the total number of coronavirus cases jumped to 1.31 lakh.

Coronavirus cases in India jump to 1.3 lakh; Records 6767 cases in 24 hours

Another deadliest 24-hour of Coronavirus outbreak in India, 6650+ news cases reported in last 24 hours. Watch this video to know more.

Another deadliest 24-hour of Coronavirus outbreak in India, 6,650+ news cases reported

The news of a 15-year-old girl Jyoti Kumari taking her injured father to home in Bihar`s Darbhanga, 1,200 km from Gurugram, on a bicycle during the lockdown, has impressed US President Donald Trump`s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump. 
 
Praising Jyoti, Ivanka on Friday shared the news on Twitter and said the "beautiful feat of endurance and love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation".

<img alt="Ivanka Tweet" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="80250d75-ee32-497e-a94d-10c36d016a46" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Capture%201_0.PNG" /> 
 
She tweeted: "15 yr old Jyoti Kumari, carried her wounded father to their home village on the back of her bicycle covering +1,200 km over 7 days. This beautiful feat of endurance &amp; love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation!" 
 
Responding to Ivanka, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said: "Her poverty and desperation are being glorified as if Jyoti rode 1,200 km for the thrill of it. Government failed her, that`s hardly something to trumpet as an achievement." 
 
Jyoti and her father lived in Gurugram in Haryana. Her father Mohan Paswan was injured in an accident during the lockdown, leaving him unable to go home. 
 
Following this, on May 10, Jyoti left along with her father from Gurugram on a bicycle for Darbhanga. She arrived home on May 16. 
 
People were stunned to learn about the plight, as well as courage displayed by Jyoti. Even Ivanka Trump was impressed and went on to share the news related to Jyoti.

The news of a 15-year-old girl Jyoti Kumari taking her injured father to home in Bihar`s Darbhanga, 1,200 km from Gurugram, on a bicycle during the lockdown, has impressed US President Donald Trump`s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump.

The news of a 15-year-old girl Jyoti Kumari taking her injured father to home in Bihar`s Darbhanga, 1,200 km from Gurugram, on a bicycle during the lockdown, has impressed US President Donald Trump`s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump. Praising Jyoti, Ivanka on Friday shared the news on Twitter and said the "beautiful feat of endurance and love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation". She tweeted: "15 yr old Jyoti Kumari, carried her wounded father to their home village on the back of her bicycle covering +1,200 km over 7 days. This beautiful feat of endurance & love has captured the imagination of the Indian people and the cycling federation!" Responding to Ivanka, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said: "Her poverty and desperation are being glorified as if Jyoti rode 1,200 km for the thrill of it. Government failed her, that`s hardly something to trumpet as an achievement." Jyoti and her father lived in Gurugram in Haryana. Her father Mohan Paswan was injured in an accident during the lockdown, leaving him unable to go home. Following this, on May 10, Jyoti left along with her father from Gurugram on a bicycle for Darbhanga. She arrived home on May 16. People were stunned to learn about the plight, as well as courage displayed by Jyoti. Even Ivanka Trump was impressed and went on to share the news related to Jyoti.

Bihar girl cycling 1,200 km with father impresses Ivanka Trump

In just 24 hours flat India added 6,654 positive cases, Health Ministry data showed on Saturday. It is 566 cases more in a single day than it reported on Friday. With this the total tally went across the 1.25 lakh-mark.

Before the first week of the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown ended, cases continually breached the highest record everyday in the last four days.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-cases-would-have-been-much-higher-had-lockdown-not-been-implemented-government-300412" hreflang="en">COVID-19 cases would have been higher had lockdown not been implemented: Govt</a>

With a total of 1,25,100 cases, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there now 69,597 active, 51,783 who recovered while 3,720 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus, including 137 in the last one day, which is 11 less deaths than 24 hours ago. 
 
The worst hit state continued to be Maharashtra with 44,582 active cases, 1,517 people died while 12,583 people have recovered. In the past 24 hours 2,940 cases have come up while 821 new recoveries have occurred. 
 
Tamil Nadu is on the second number with 14,753 cases and 98 deaths while Gujarat is third with 13,268 cases and 802 deaths. 
 
Delhi has so far reported 12,319 cases with 208 fatalities and 5,897 people recovering from the disease. 
 
States with more than 5,000 cases each are Rajasthan (6,494), Madhya Pradesh (6,170) and Uttar Pradesh (5,735). 
 
Other major states and Union Territories that have reported more than 1,000 cases each are West Bengal (3,332), Andhra Pradesh (2,709), Punjab (2,029), Telangana (1,761), Bihar (2,177), Jammu and Kashmir (1,489), Karnataka (1,743), Odisha (1,189) and Haryana (1,067). 
 
States and UTs that have reported a significant number of corona cases are Kerala (732), Jharkhand (308), Chandigarh (218), Assam (259), Tripura (175), Chhattisgarh (172) and Uttarakhand (153).

In just 24 hours flat India added 6,654 positive cases, Health Ministry data showed on Saturday. It is 566 cases more in a single day than it reported on Friday.

In just 24 hours flat India added 6,654 positive cases, Health Ministry data showed on Saturday. It is 566 cases more in a single day than it reported on Friday. With this the total tally went across the 1.25 lakh-mark. Before the first week of the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown ended, cases continually breached the highest record everyday in the last four days. Also read: COVID-19 cases would have been higher had lockdown not been implemented: Govt With a total of 1,25,100 cases, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there now 69,597 active, 51,783 who recovered while 3,720 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus, including 137 in the last one day, which is 11 less deaths than 24 hours ago. The worst hit state continued to be Maharashtra with 44,582 active cases, 1,517 people died while 12,583 people have recovered. In the past 24 hours 2,940 cases have come up while 821 new recoveries have occurred. Tamil Nadu is on the second number with 14,753 cases and 98 deaths while Gujarat is third with 13,268 cases and 802 deaths. Delhi has so far reported 12,319 cases with 208 fatalities and 5,897 people recovering from the disease. States with more than 5,000 cases each are Rajasthan (6,494), Madhya Pradesh (6,170) and Uttar Pradesh (5,735). Other major states and Union Territories that have reported more than 1,000 cases each are West Bengal (3,332), Andhra Pradesh (2,709), Punjab (2,029), Telangana (1,761), Bihar (2,177), Jammu and Kashmir (1,489), Karnataka (1,743), Odisha (1,189) and Haryana (1,067). States and UTs that have reported a significant number of corona cases are Kerala (732), Jharkhand (308), Chandigarh (218), Assam (259), Tripura (175), Chhattisgarh (172) and Uttarakhand (153).

With highest spike of 6,654 cases in 24 hours, India crosses 1.25 lakh-mark

The death toll due to Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 85, as angry Kolkatans resorted to protest and road blockades in various parts of the city over the administration's failure to restore normalcy even after three days.

With normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disasters, the authorities scrambled in various parts of the state to restore normalcy.

Also see:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/heavy-rain-185-kmph-winds-wreak-havoc-as-cyclone-amphan-hits-coasts-300065">Heavy rain, 185 kmph winds wreak havoc as Cyclone Amphan hits coasts</a>

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Cyclone Amphan hit South 24 Parganas district on Saturday and take stock of the situation.

Lakhs of people were rendered homeless as Cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through half-a-dozen districts of the state on Wednesday, flattening houses, uprooting thousands of trees and swamping low-lying areas.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cyclone-amphan-leaves-kolkata-airport-flooded-hangars-damaged-beyond-repair-300105">Cyclone Amphan leaves Kolkata airport flooded; hangars damaged beyond repair</a>

According to official sources, around 1.5 crore people of the state have been directly affected and more than 10 lakh houses destroyed due to the cyclone.

Although electricity and mobile connection were restored in some parts of Kolkata, and North and South 24 Parganas districts, many areas continued to remain in darkness as power poles had been blown away and communication lines snapped.

Several roads and houses in Kolkata, Howrah, and North and South 24 Parganas districts continue to remain waterlogged, as hapless citizens came out on the streets against the administration's "apathy and ineffectiveness".

People in various parts of Kolkata staged protests and blockades since Friday night demanding immediate resumption of power and water supply, three days after Amphan ravaged the state.

Firhad Hakim, chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrators, assured the people that normalcy would be restored in a week, as government officials were working round the clock to improve the situation.

"More than 5,000 trees have been uprooted. We have already cleared several roads," Hakim said. "We are in touch with the private power supply provider and had asked them to restore supply as early as possible."

In Kakdwip area of South 24 Parganas district, people complained that they were not given enough tarpaulin sheets to cover the roofs of houses damaged by the cyclone.

In Hingalganj block of North 24 Parganas, people claimed they were running out of food, as shops in the vicinity were yet to lift shutters in the aftermath of the calamity.

"The entire area is underwater and we are out of food for the last three days. We are yet to get any relief," said Geeta Mahali, a resident of the area.

Several relief camps have come up in the districts, where hapless people have queued up for two squares of meal and shelter after their homes being either blown or washed away.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Relief Force have been working on a war-footing to clear the roads blocked by the uprooted trees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flew down to Kolkata on Friday and undertook an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Lauding the efforts of the state government in combating the crisis, Modi announced an advance assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the state.

The death toll due to Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 85, as angry Kolkatans resorted to protest and road blockades in various parts of the city over the administration's failure to restore normalcy even after three days.

The death toll due to Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 85, as angry Kolkatans resorted to protest and road blockades in various parts of the city over the administration's failure to restore normalcy even after three days. With normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disasters, the authorities scrambled in various parts of the state to restore normalcy. Also see:Heavy rain, 185 kmph winds wreak havoc as Cyclone Amphan hits coasts West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Cyclone Amphan hit South 24 Parganas district on Saturday and take stock of the situation. Lakhs of people were rendered homeless as Cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through half-a-dozen districts of the state on Wednesday, flattening houses, uprooting thousands of trees and swamping low-lying areas. Also read: Cyclone Amphan leaves Kolkata airport flooded; hangars damaged beyond repair According to official sources, around 1.5 crore people of the state have been directly affected and more than 10 lakh houses destroyed due to the cyclone. Although electricity and mobile connection were restored in some parts of Kolkata, and North and South 24 Parganas districts, many areas continued to remain in darkness as power poles had been blown away and communication lines snapped. Several roads and houses in Kolkata, Howrah, and North and South 24 Parganas districts continue to remain waterlogged, as hapless citizens came out on the streets against the administration's "apathy and ineffectiveness". People in various parts of Kolkata staged protests and blockades since Friday night demanding immediate resumption of power and water supply, three days after Amphan ravaged the state. Firhad Hakim, chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrators, assured the people that normalcy would be restored in a week, as government officials were working round the clock to improve the situation. "More than 5,000 trees have been uprooted. We have already cleared several roads," Hakim said. "We are in touch with the private power supply provider and had asked them to restore supply as early as possible." In Kakdwip area of South 24 Parganas district, people complained that they were not given enough tarpaulin sheets to cover the roofs of houses damaged by the cyclone. In Hingalganj block of North 24 Parganas, people claimed they were running out of food, as shops in the vicinity were yet to lift shutters in the aftermath of the calamity. "The entire area is underwater and we are out of food for the last three days. We are yet to get any relief," said Geeta Mahali, a resident of the area. Several relief camps have come up in the districts, where hapless people have queued up for two squares of meal and shelter after their homes being either blown or washed away. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Relief Force have been working on a war-footing to clear the roads blocked by the uprooted trees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flew down to Kolkata on Friday and undertook an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Lauding the efforts of the state government in combating the crisis, Modi announced an advance assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the state.

Amphan toll rises to 85 in Bengal; protests over electricity, water supply

Coronavirus cases in India on Saturday saw the highest single-day spike for the second consecutive day with 6,654 new infections reported in a 24-hour span, taking the tally to over 1.25 lakh, while the death toll rose to 3,720 after 137 more fatalities, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

The total of 1,25,101 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pandemic includes foreigners.

Of the 137 deaths reported since Friday morning, 63 were in Maharashtra, 29 in Gujarat, 14 each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, six from West Bengal, four from Tamil Nadu, two each from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, and one from Haryana.

Of the total toll of 3,720, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,517 deaths, followed by Gujarat at 802, Madhya Pradesh at 272, West Bengal at 265 and Delhi at 208.

The number of deaths due to the contagion in Rajasthan is 153, while 152 people died in Uttar Pradesh, 98 in Tamil Nadu and 55 in Andhra Pradesh.

The COVID-19 death toll reached 45 in Telangana, 41 in Karnataka and 39 in Punjab. There are 20 fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir, 16 in Haryana and 11 in Bihar.

Seven people have succumbed to the disease in Odisha, and four each in Kerala and Assam so far.

Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three deaths each, while there is a fatality each in Meghalaya and Uttarakhand, the ministry said. More than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities, according to the ministry website.

Meanwhile, in a significant development, a high-level committee of experts was formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked.

Faced with the ominous threat of the coronavirus infection, a number of steps such as fast-tracking the approval process for drugs, research and vaccine development were taken.

A health ministry official said the aim of the panel is to identify and institutionalise these measures.

Eleven municipal areas in seven states and union territories that have accounted for 70 per cent of India's coronavirus case load were asked by the government on Saturday to step up monitoring in old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets like camps and clusters for migrant workers for management of COVID-19 cases.

These 11 municipal areas are from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and account for 70 per cent of active case load, the Union health ministry said.

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan who held a high-level meeting through video conferencing with principal health secretaries and municipal commissioners along with other officials from the 11 municipal areas urged them to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population along with effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate.

During the meeting, a presentation was made to highlight the trend in case trajectory with respect to total confirmed cases, case fatality rate, doubling time, tests per million and confirmation percentage, the ministry said.

"It was told that major challenge lies in those corporations having shorter doubling time, higher mortality rate and a higher confirmation rate than the national average," the ministry said in its statement.

The officials were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones and the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing, clinical management of the active cases.

They were also asked to undertake surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases and promoting social distancing and hand hygiene among others.

The officials were also urged to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population and groups, and effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate.

While many have operationalised 24x7 state control rooms, others could also follow the lead and start such units which shall not only provide assistance to the people for various facilities and services regarding COVID-19 management, but also have a panel of domain experts and doctors to provide round the clock support and mentoring for clinical issues which shall effectively contribute to reducing fatality rate, the statement said.

"It was pointed out that testing needs to stepped up in some municipal areas to ensure early detection of cases, timely clinical management and a reduction in fatality rate," it said.

They also need to be mindful of ramping up the health infrastructure to ensure preparedness for the next two months with special focus on isolation beds with oxygen, ventilators and ICU beds.

Other issues that need focussed attention include active coordination with government and private labs to address delays in sample collection, partnership with private hospitals to augment the health and bed capacity, waste disposal, management of camps for migrant labourers and creating awareness regarding issues such as stigmatisation of patients in local languages, by involving community leaders, youth groups among others.

The measures taken and best practices followed by the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were also discussed, the statement stated.

Mumbai Municipal Commissioner briefed about establishing close cooperation between private hospitals and municipal authorities to pool the health infrastructure like ICU or oxygen beds etc.

They shall also soon make public the online portal displaying the bed availability with unique ID numbers for each bed, and also set up a GPS backed online ambulance tracking system, the statement said.

According to the ministry bulletin, the active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rose to 69,597, while 51,783 people have recovered and a patient has migrated.

(with inputs from PTI)

Coronavirus cases in India on Saturday saw the highest single-day spike for the second consecutive day with 6,654 new infections reported in a 24-hour span, taking the tally to over 1.

Coronavirus cases in India on Saturday saw the highest single-day spike for the second consecutive day with 6,654 new infections reported in a 24-hour span, taking the tally to over 1.25 lakh, while the death toll rose to 3,720 after 137 more fatalities, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The total of 1,25,101 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pandemic includes foreigners. Of the 137 deaths reported since Friday morning, 63 were in Maharashtra, 29 in Gujarat, 14 each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, six from West Bengal, four from Tamil Nadu, two each from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, and one from Haryana. Of the total toll of 3,720, Maharashtra tops the tally with 1,517 deaths, followed by Gujarat at 802, Madhya Pradesh at 272, West Bengal at 265 and Delhi at 208. The number of deaths due to the contagion in Rajasthan is 153, while 152 people died in Uttar Pradesh, 98 in Tamil Nadu and 55 in Andhra Pradesh. The COVID-19 death toll reached 45 in Telangana, 41 in Karnataka and 39 in Punjab. There are 20 fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir, 16 in Haryana and 11 in Bihar. Seven people have succumbed to the disease in Odisha, and four each in Kerala and Assam so far. Jharkhand, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh each have recorded three deaths each, while there is a fatality each in Meghalaya and Uttarakhand, the ministry said. More than 70 percent of the deaths are due to comorbidities, according to the ministry website. Meanwhile, in a significant development, a high-level committee of experts was formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked. Faced with the ominous threat of the coronavirus infection, a number of steps such as fast-tracking the approval process for drugs, research and vaccine development were taken. A health ministry official said the aim of the panel is to identify and institutionalise these measures. Eleven municipal areas in seven states and union territories that have accounted for 70 per cent of India's coronavirus case load were asked by the government on Saturday to step up monitoring in old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets like camps and clusters for migrant workers for management of COVID-19 cases. These 11 municipal areas are from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and account for 70 per cent of active case load, the Union health ministry said. Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan who held a high-level meeting through video conferencing with principal health secretaries and municipal commissioners along with other officials from the 11 municipal areas urged them to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population along with effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate. During the meeting, a presentation was made to highlight the trend in case trajectory with respect to total confirmed cases, case fatality rate, doubling time, tests per million and confirmation percentage, the ministry said. "It was told that major challenge lies in those corporations having shorter doubling time, higher mortality rate and a higher confirmation rate than the national average," the ministry said in its statement. The officials were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones and the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing, clinical management of the active cases. They were also asked to undertake surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases and promoting social distancing and hand hygiene among others. The officials were also urged to focus on prevention through active screening of high risk and vulnerable population and groups, and effective and sturdy clinical management of the admitted cases to reduce fatality rate. While many have operationalised 24x7 state control rooms, others could also follow the lead and start such units which shall not only provide assistance to the people for various facilities and services regarding COVID-19 management, but also have a panel of domain experts and doctors to provide round the clock support and mentoring for clinical issues which shall effectively contribute to reducing fatality rate, the statement said. "It was pointed out that testing needs to stepped up in some municipal areas to ensure early detection of cases, timely clinical management and a reduction in fatality rate," it said. They also need to be mindful of ramping up the health infrastructure to ensure preparedness for the next two months with special focus on isolation beds with oxygen, ventilators and ICU beds. Other issues that need focussed attention include active coordination with government and private labs to address delays in sample collection, partnership with private hospitals to augment the health and bed capacity, waste disposal, management of camps for migrant labourers and creating awareness regarding issues such as stigmatisation of patients in local languages, by involving community leaders, youth groups among others. The measures taken and best practices followed by the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were also discussed, the statement stated. Mumbai Municipal Commissioner briefed about establishing close cooperation between private hospitals and municipal authorities to pool the health infrastructure like ICU or oxygen beds etc. They shall also soon make public the online portal displaying the bed availability with unique ID numbers for each bed, and also set up a GPS backed online ambulance tracking system, the statement said. According to the ministry bulletin, the active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rose to 69,597, while 51,783 people have recovered and a patient has migrated. (with inputs from PTI)

Record jump in India's coronavirus tally for second consecutive day, 137 more deaths

Sikkim reported its first COVID-19 case on Saturday as a 25-year-old student who recently returned from Delhi tested positive for the disease, a senior official said.

The sample of the student was sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for testing. The report came back positive, Health Department Director General-cum-Secretary Pempa Tshering Bhutia told reporters here.

The student, who hails from Rabangla in South Sikkim district, is undergoing treatment at the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital here, he said.

The student was in Delhi to prepare for competitive examinations.

He travelled on a private bus from New Delhi to Siliguri last week and then took a SNT bus to Melli Check post on May 19, Bhutia said.

He was lodged at one of the designated quarantine centres in the South district, the official added.

He showed coronavirus-like symptoms of fever and chill on May 21 and was immediately shifted to the STNM Hospital, Bhutia said.

His sample was tested on the TrueNat machine at the STNM Hospital and it was found positive, the official said, adding his sample was sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for RTPCR test to further confirm the status.

The report came back as positive, Bhutia said.

The student's co-passengers who travelled to Sikkim via Melli checkpost are in quarantine and the bus driver has also been tested, he said.

Though the COVID-19 patient was initially symptomatic, he is now asymptomatic and stable, Bhutia added.

Sikkim reported its first COVID-19 case on Saturday as a 25-year-old student who recently returned from Delhi tested positive for the disease, a senior official said.

Sikkim reported its first COVID-19 case on Saturday as a 25-year-old student who recently returned from Delhi tested positive for the disease, a senior official said. The sample of the student was sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for testing. The report came back positive, Health Department Director General-cum-Secretary Pempa Tshering Bhutia told reporters here. The student, who hails from Rabangla in South Sikkim district, is undergoing treatment at the Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital here, he said. The student was in Delhi to prepare for competitive examinations. He travelled on a private bus from New Delhi to Siliguri last week and then took a SNT bus to Melli Check post on May 19, Bhutia said. He was lodged at one of the designated quarantine centres in the South district, the official added. He showed coronavirus-like symptoms of fever and chill on May 21 and was immediately shifted to the STNM Hospital, Bhutia said. His sample was tested on the TrueNat machine at the STNM Hospital and it was found positive, the official said, adding his sample was sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for RTPCR test to further confirm the status. The report came back as positive, Bhutia said. The student's co-passengers who travelled to Sikkim via Melli checkpost are in quarantine and the bus driver has also been tested, he said. Though the COVID-19 patient was initially symptomatic, he is now asymptomatic and stable, Bhutia added.

Sikkim reports first COVID-19 case as Delhi returnee tests positive

Hunar Haat, the Centre's minority outreach programme, is soon going to make a comeback -- amid the growing clamour for being "vocal" about "local".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hunar Haat in February this year&nbsp;at the India Gate and relished 'litti-chokha', the signature dish from Bihar.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said the Indian artisans and craftsmen have prepared their indigenous and exquisite products on a large scale during the coronavirus lockdown and would bring them for display and sale in the next Hunar Haat.

The government push for a self-reliant India in PM Modi's last address to the nation.

It's also being said that in the coming days, Hunar Haat will be organised across India, including identified venues like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Patna, Nagpur, Raipur, and Jammu.

Keeping social distancing norms into consideration, people will be able to buy handicraft products not just at the mela but also through digital means. The ministry has started a process to register these artisans and their indigenous products on "GeM" (Government e-Marketplace).

In addition, social distancing, hygiene, sanitisation and use of masks will be ensured at Hunar Haat. There will be a special "Jaan Bhi, Jahaan Bhi" pavilion to spread health awareness among the people with the theme of "say no to panic, yes to precautions".

Hunar Haat, the Centre's minority outreach programme, is soon going to make a comeback -- amid the growing clamour for being "vocal" about "local". Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hunar Haat in February this year at the India Gate and relished 'litti-chokha', the signature dish from Bihar.

Hunar Haat, the Centre's minority outreach programme, is soon going to make a comeback -- amid the growing clamour for being "vocal" about "local". Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Hunar Haat in February this year at the India Gate and relished 'litti-chokha', the signature dish from Bihar. Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said the Indian artisans and craftsmen have prepared their indigenous and exquisite products on a large scale during the coronavirus lockdown and would bring them for display and sale in the next Hunar Haat. The government push for a self-reliant India in PM Modi's last address to the nation. It's also being said that in the coming days, Hunar Haat will be organised across India, including identified venues like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Patna, Nagpur, Raipur, and Jammu. Keeping social distancing norms into consideration, people will be able to buy handicraft products not just at the mela but also through digital means. The ministry has started a process to register these artisans and their indigenous products on "GeM" (Government e-Marketplace). In addition, social distancing, hygiene, sanitisation and use of masks will be ensured at Hunar Haat. There will be a special "Jaan Bhi, Jahaan Bhi" pavilion to spread health awareness among the people with the theme of "say no to panic, yes to precautions".

Hunar Haat to make a comeback this September amid Vocal for Local clamour

The railways on Saturday said 50 per cent of its 5,213 isolation coaches meant for coronavirus patients will now be used to run Shramik Special trains.

PTI had on Friday reported that the railway board in an order dated May 21 allowed 60 per cent of these modified coaches to operate the special trains to ferry migrants.

The officials said these non-AC coaches will not be reconverted into normal coaches, but will be used as they are&nbsp;for these services.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/railways-to-operate-2600-shramik-special-trains-in-next-10-days-to-ferry-36-lakh-home-300622">Also read:&nbsp;Railways to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains in next 10 days to ferry 36 lakh home</a>

"We have so far converted 5,000 such coaches and we have 80,000 beds available. These coaches can be deployed wherever the states desire, but since they were not in use as of now, we have taken a decision to use 50 per cent of them as Shramik Special coaches," Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said on Saturday. "However, the others are available for use as COVID-19 care centers. If required, even those used in the trains can be diverted for COVID-19 care whenever required," he said.

In the order issued on May 21, the railway board said "60 per cent of isolation coaches meant for intervention of COVID-19 cases, railways may utilise them for running of Shramik Special trains. It is permitted by board."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/west-bengal-asks-railways-not-to-send-shramik-special-trains-to-state-till-may-26-300555">Also read:&nbsp;West Bengal asks Railways not to send Shramik Special trains to state till May 26</a>

While making the modified isolation wards, the middle berths had been removed and the lower portion of the compartment plugged by plywood.

There is also a provision of partition provided from the aisle side for isolation of the compartment. 
Due to non-availability of the middle berth, when in use, the trains with these coaches will have lower number of passengers.

Officials said all the equipment on board the coaches like oxygen tanks, ventilators and other medical items will be removed from them.

One significant change for travelers would be the availability of a proper bathroom and not just a toilet on board. The four toilets in each coach have been converted into two bathrooms by plugging the toilet pan and with proper flooring. Each bathroom will have a hand shower, bucket and mug.

"This is a win-win situation for railways. We are not reconverting the coaches into regular ones, but using them as they are by removing only the medical equipment on board. There is no additional cost that we are incurring. We will also remove the curtains. These coaches will come in multipurpose use since they are currently not being utilised.

"If and when they are needed as isolation units, they will be shifted for use there," a railway spokesperson said.

The Centre has, however, earmarked 215 railway stations for the deployment of railways' isolation coaches to be used as COVID-19 Care Centers for suspected or confirmed patients categorised as mild or very mild cases.

As of now, none of these coaches are in use. Officials said modifying each coach into isolation wards has cost the national transporter around Rs 2 lakh, while reconverting them into regular non-AC coaches would cost it Rs 1 lakh for each coach.

So far, the railways has operated 2,600 Shramik Special trains since May 1 to ferry 36 lakh migrant workers home.

The railways on Saturday said 50 per cent of its 5,213 isolation coaches meant for coronavirus patients will now be used to run Shramik Special trains. PTI had on Friday reported that the railway board in an order dated May 21 allowed 60 per cent of these modified coaches to operate the special trains to ferry migrants.

The railways on Saturday said 50 per cent of its 5,213 isolation coaches meant for coronavirus patients will now be used to run Shramik Special trains. PTI had on Friday reported that the railway board in an order dated May 21 allowed 60 per cent of these modified coaches to operate the special trains to ferry migrants. The officials said these non-AC coaches will not be reconverted into normal coaches, but will be used as they are for these services. Also read: Railways to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains in next 10 days to ferry 36 lakh home "We have so far converted 5,000 such coaches and we have 80,000 beds available. These coaches can be deployed wherever the states desire, but since they were not in use as of now, we have taken a decision to use 50 per cent of them as Shramik Special coaches," Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said on Saturday. "However, the others are available for use as COVID-19 care centers. If required, even those used in the trains can be diverted for COVID-19 care whenever required," he said. In the order issued on May 21, the railway board said "60 per cent of isolation coaches meant for intervention of COVID-19 cases, railways may utilise them for running of Shramik Special trains. It is permitted by board." Also read: West Bengal asks Railways not to send Shramik Special trains to state till May 26 While making the modified isolation wards, the middle berths had been removed and the lower portion of the compartment plugged by plywood. There is also a provision of partition provided from the aisle side for isolation of the compartment. Due to non-availability of the middle berth, when in use, the trains with these coaches will have lower number of passengers. Officials said all the equipment on board the coaches like oxygen tanks, ventilators and other medical items will be removed from them. One significant change for travelers would be the availability of a proper bathroom and not just a toilet on board. The four toilets in each coach have been converted into two bathrooms by plugging the toilet pan and with proper flooring. Each bathroom will have a hand shower, bucket and mug. "This is a win-win situation for railways. We are not reconverting the coaches into regular ones, but using them as they are by removing only the medical equipment on board. There is no additional cost that we are incurring. We will also remove the curtains. These coaches will come in multipurpose use since they are currently not being utilised. "If and when they are needed as isolation units, they will be shifted for use there," a railway spokesperson said. The Centre has, however, earmarked 215 railway stations for the deployment of railways' isolation coaches to be used as COVID-19 Care Centers for suspected or confirmed patients categorised as mild or very mild cases. As of now, none of these coaches are in use. Officials said modifying each coach into isolation wards has cost the national transporter around Rs 2 lakh, while reconverting them into regular non-AC coaches would cost it Rs 1 lakh for each coach. So far, the railways has operated 2,600 Shramik Special trains since May 1 to ferry 36 lakh migrant workers home.

Railways to use 50% of converted isolation coaches to operate Shramik Special trains

As the aviation industry gets ready to start services from Monday, state governments are implementing all possible precautions for the incoming passengers.

Keeping the same in mind, Karnataka and Punjab governments have announced that the incoming passengers will have to go through a&nbsp;quarantine period.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-will-increase-international-flights-in-coming-days-union-civil-aviation-minister-300560">Also read:&nbsp;We will increase international flights in coming days: Union civil aviation minister</a>

Karnataka government's DGP announced through Twitter that the passengers entering will have to go through compulsory institutional seven-day institutional quarantine, followed by home quarantine

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All incoming persons will need to remain in home quarantine for 14 days if they come from states other than Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharasthra: Karnataka Govt <a href="https://t.co/s7l5odufVL">https://t.co/s7l5odufVL</a> <a href="https://t.co/oZAQILhVAw">pic.twitter.com/oZAQILhVAw</a>
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Following the suit, Punjab government, too, announced a compulsory 14-day quarantine period for incoming passengers from Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The civil aviation minister, few days ago, announced that domestic travel will resume for the Indians stranded away from home. The domestic flights will resume from May 25, Monday.

All passengers will have to compulsorily wear face masks and gloves, and maintain and follow all social distancing guidelines laid out by the experts. Several other measures have been taken by the Airport Authority of India and airlines to make sure that there is no spread of infection.

All passengers who do not pass the required temperature check, and are unable to prove that they belong to a non-containment zone will not be allowed to enter the airport premises.&nbsp;

web check-in has been made compulsory to decrease the physical contact. Older people, babies and past COVID-10 patients, who are classified as vulnerable, have been advised to avoid travelling.&nbsp;

As the aviation industry gets ready to start services from Monday, state governments are implementing all possible precautions for the incoming passengers. Keeping the same in mind, Karnataka and Punjab governments have announced that the incoming passengers will have to go through a quarantine period.

As the aviation industry gets ready to start services from Monday, state governments are implementing all possible precautions for the incoming passengers. Keeping the same in mind, Karnataka and Punjab governments have announced that the incoming passengers will have to go through a quarantine period. Also read: We will increase international flights in coming days: Union civil aviation minister Karnataka government's DGP announced through Twitter that the passengers entering will have to go through compulsory institutional seven-day institutional quarantine, followed by home quarantine All incoming persons will need to remain in home quarantine for 14 days if they come from states other than Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharasthra: Karnataka Govt https://t.co/s7l5odufVL pic.twitter.com/oZAQILhVAw — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2020 × Following the suit, Punjab government, too, announced a compulsory 14-day quarantine period for incoming passengers from Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The civil aviation minister, few days ago, announced that domestic travel will resume for the Indians stranded away from home. The domestic flights will resume from May 25, Monday. All passengers will have to compulsorily wear face masks and gloves, and maintain and follow all social distancing guidelines laid out by the experts. Several other measures have been taken by the Airport Authority of India and airlines to make sure that there is no spread of infection. All passengers who do not pass the required temperature check, and are unable to prove that they belong to a non-containment zone will not be allowed to enter the airport premises. web check-in has been made compulsory to decrease the physical contact. Older people, babies and past COVID-10 patients, who are classified as vulnerable, have been advised to avoid travelling.

COVID 19: Karnataka and Punjab to quarantine incoming passengers

More than 28,000 Indians have registered for repatriation in western Saudi Arabia while in that part of the country 43 Indians have been confirmed dead due to COVID.

Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, India's Consul General in Jeddah, Noor Rahman Sheikh said the consulate had was able to repatriate 3035 Umrah pilgrims before India announced its pan India lockdown. Meanwhile, Saudi government has advised Indian consulate in Jeddah to put on hold Haj Arrangements which is due to begin on 22nd June.

WION: How is the Indian consulate reaching to stranded Indians in the Jeddah?&nbsp;

Noor Rahman Sheikh: Since 12 March, the consulate has activated 24/7 help desk pertaining to COVID. All our nationals requiring assistance is promptly provided possible assistance. From 12th to 19h March 2020, the consulate facilitated the repatriation of 3035 Umrah pilgrims as Saudi govt had announced the suspension of flights, both domestic and international. All our nationals who want to get repatriated to India registered at our embassy in Riyadh. Database of Indians residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia is then transferred and made available with consulate general of India in Jeddah. We also have a large number of Indian community members who work as volunteers through whom we provide all possible assistance to our nationals.&nbsp;

WION:&nbsp;Are any Indians infected? And have any of the Indian nationals lost their lives? 
Noor Rahman Sheikh: We understand more than 3000 Indians are impacted by COVID throughout the kingdom, though we don't have region-wise figures. So far from the western region of Saudi Arabia, 43 Indians have died due to COVID.

WION: If you can give details on the repatriation flights..how many registered? 
Noor Rahman Sheikh: Three flights have operated under the Vande Bharat mission from Jeddah. In the first phase, 2 flights went to Kozhikode on 13th May, another to Kochi on 14th May. Last week, as part of phase 2 of the mission, there was a flight to Vijayawada and to Hyderabad that carried 145 passengers. &nbsp;More flights are anticipated in phase 3 of Vande Bharat mission. So far, more than 28000 Indians residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia have registered for repatriation to India. Of course on compelling reasons like medical emergencies, pregnant ladies, expiry of visit visa, Umrah pilgrims have been given priority in flights.&nbsp;

WION: How has the ground situation in Jeddah changed, how have Indian diplomats faring? Has it been difficult? 
Noor Rahman Sheikh: From the beginning of March this year Saudi Arabia has been taking various measures to contain the spread of the pandemic including suspension of both domestic, international flights of Umrah, prayers at all Mosques, imposing curfews, lockdowns etc. From 23nd to 27th of May, during the Eid days, it will be a complete lockdown at the kingdom. The city of Mecca remains completely sealed and no one can enter or exit the city. So all this has certainly changed the way&nbsp;we used to work earlier. Since the consulate handles Haj operations, based on Saudi Govt's advise have put on hold arrangements of Haj due to pandemic. Haj operations were supposed to start on 22nd June and conclude on 3rd September this year. It has been a unique experience for all of us at the consulate. Last year, 2 lakh Indian nationals had performed Haj. We are hoping situation will improve.&nbsp;

More than 28,000 Indians have registered for repatriation in western Saudi Arabia while in that part of the country 43 Indians have been confirmed dead due to COVID.

More than 28,000 Indians have registered for repatriation in western Saudi Arabia while in that part of the country 43 Indians have been confirmed dead due to COVID. Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, India's Consul General in Jeddah, Noor Rahman Sheikh said the consulate had was able to repatriate 3035 Umrah pilgrims before India announced its pan India lockdown. Meanwhile, Saudi government has advised Indian consulate in Jeddah to put on hold Haj Arrangements which is due to begin on 22nd June. WION: How is the Indian consulate reaching to stranded Indians in the Jeddah? Noor Rahman Sheikh: Since 12 March, the consulate has activated 24/7 help desk pertaining to COVID. All our nationals requiring assistance is promptly provided possible assistance. From 12th to 19h March 2020, the consulate facilitated the repatriation of 3035 Umrah pilgrims as Saudi govt had announced the suspension of flights, both domestic and international. All our nationals who want to get repatriated to India registered at our embassy in Riyadh. Database of Indians residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia is then transferred and made available with consulate general of India in Jeddah. We also have a large number of Indian community members who work as volunteers through whom we provide all possible assistance to our nationals. WION: Are any Indians infected? And have any of the Indian nationals lost their lives? Noor Rahman Sheikh: We understand more than 3000 Indians are impacted by COVID throughout the kingdom, though we don't have region-wise figures. So far from the western region of Saudi Arabia, 43 Indians have died due to COVID. WION: If you can give details on the repatriation flights..how many registered? Noor Rahman Sheikh: Three flights have operated under the Vande Bharat mission from Jeddah. In the first phase, 2 flights went to Kozhikode on 13th May, another to Kochi on 14th May. Last week, as part of phase 2 of the mission, there was a flight to Vijayawada and to Hyderabad that carried 145 passengers. More flights are anticipated in phase 3 of Vande Bharat mission. So far, more than 28000 Indians residing in the western region of Saudi Arabia have registered for repatriation to India. Of course on compelling reasons like medical emergencies, pregnant ladies, expiry of visit visa, Umrah pilgrims have been given priority in flights. WION: How has the ground situation in Jeddah changed, how have Indian diplomats faring? Has it been difficult? Noor Rahman Sheikh: From the beginning of March this year Saudi Arabia has been taking various measures to contain the spread of the pandemic including suspension of both domestic, international flights of Umrah, prayers at all Mosques, imposing curfews, lockdowns etc. From 23nd to 27th of May, during the Eid days, it will be a complete lockdown at the kingdom. The city of Mecca remains completely sealed and no one can enter or exit the city. So all this has certainly changed the way we used to work earlier. Since the consulate handles Haj operations, based on Saudi Govt's advise have put on hold arrangements of Haj due to pandemic. Haj operations were supposed to start on 22nd June and conclude on 3rd September this year. It has been a unique experience for all of us at the consulate. Last year, 2 lakh Indian nationals had performed Haj. We are hoping situation will improve.

COVID 19: On Saudi Arabia's advice, Haj arrangements are on hold

The Railways has drawn up a schedule to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains over the next 10 days across the country to ferry around 36 lakh migrant workers, stranded due to the COVID-19 lockdown, to their home states, Chairman, Railway Board V K Yadav said on Saturday.

He said that the railways has run 2,600 Shramik Special trains in the last 23 days carrying around 36 lakh stranded migrants. 
He used graphics to show how railways had increased the number of trains from four on May 1, when the operations started, to 279 on May 20.

"We have operated 260 Shramik Special trains every day on an average for the last four days, carrying three lakh passengers daily. In next 10 days, 2,600 Shramik Special? trains will carry 36 lakh migrants. We can also run trains within states, around 10-12 lakh can travel on them," Yadav said.

To a question on fares of the special trains to be operated from June 1, he said the railways was charging pre-lockdown normal fares only.

He reiterated that 85 per cent of the expense of Shramik Special trains is being borne by the Centre and the states are only paying 15 per cent in the form of fares. "Unreserved journey has been stopped for now in the interest of social distancing. Trains will be full only as per designated capacity,? Yadav said.

"It's a tough situation for everyone in the world. Attempt is to move to normalcy gradually. We have studied patterns of demand on routes and trains have been introduced based on that," he said.

He assured migrant workers that the railways will continue to operate the Shramik Special trains till the time states require them. 
Responding to a letter sent by the West Bengal government seeking stalling of all migrant trains to the state till May 26 due to Cyclone Amphan, Yadav said it was due to a natural calamity and things will be back to normal soon.

"The West Bengal chief secretary wrote to me that restoration work is underway and they'll tell us soon when they will be able to receive the trains. As soon as they give us clearance, we'll run trains to West Bengal," he said.

Responding to a question on why certain trains were being diverted to longer routes, Yadav termed it as normal affair.

"Most of the trains are going to only one or two routes to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar so there is route congestion," said Yadav on the incident where a Gorakhpur bound train was diverted via Odisha.

"This method is employed even during normal times to avoid congested routes," he said.

He also said that around 5,000 beds in 17 dedicated hospitals and 33 isolated hospital blocks have been earmarked for COVID-19 care.

Yadav further said isolation coaches meant for coronavirus-infected people were yet to be deployed as he highlighted that 50 per cent of them will be used to run Shramik Special trains.

An order issued earlier this week stated that 60 per cent of around 5,200 coaches which have been converted so far will be used in migrant special trains.

The railways is currently running 15 pairs of special trains on the Rajdhani route while 100 pairs of trains will begin operations from June 1.&nbsp;

The Railways has drawn up a schedule to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains over the next 10 days across the country to ferry around 36 lakh migrant workers, stranded due to the COVID-19 lockdown, to their home states, Chairman, Railway Board V K Yadav said on Saturday.

The Railways has drawn up a schedule to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains over the next 10 days across the country to ferry around 36 lakh migrant workers, stranded due to the COVID-19 lockdown, to their home states, Chairman, Railway Board V K Yadav said on Saturday. He said that the railways has run 2,600 Shramik Special trains in the last 23 days carrying around 36 lakh stranded migrants. He used graphics to show how railways had increased the number of trains from four on May 1, when the operations started, to 279 on May 20. "We have operated 260 Shramik Special trains every day on an average for the last four days, carrying three lakh passengers daily. In next 10 days, 2,600 Shramik Special? trains will carry 36 lakh migrants. We can also run trains within states, around 10-12 lakh can travel on them," Yadav said. To a question on fares of the special trains to be operated from June 1, he said the railways was charging pre-lockdown normal fares only. He reiterated that 85 per cent of the expense of Shramik Special trains is being borne by the Centre and the states are only paying 15 per cent in the form of fares. "Unreserved journey has been stopped for now in the interest of social distancing. Trains will be full only as per designated capacity,? Yadav said. "It's a tough situation for everyone in the world. Attempt is to move to normalcy gradually. We have studied patterns of demand on routes and trains have been introduced based on that," he said. He assured migrant workers that the railways will continue to operate the Shramik Special trains till the time states require them. Responding to a letter sent by the West Bengal government seeking stalling of all migrant trains to the state till May 26 due to Cyclone Amphan, Yadav said it was due to a natural calamity and things will be back to normal soon. "The West Bengal chief secretary wrote to me that restoration work is underway and they'll tell us soon when they will be able to receive the trains. As soon as they give us clearance, we'll run trains to West Bengal," he said. Responding to a question on why certain trains were being diverted to longer routes, Yadav termed it as normal affair. "Most of the trains are going to only one or two routes to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar so there is route congestion," said Yadav on the incident where a Gorakhpur bound train was diverted via Odisha. "This method is employed even during normal times to avoid congested routes," he said. He also said that around 5,000 beds in 17 dedicated hospitals and 33 isolated hospital blocks have been earmarked for COVID-19 care. Yadav further said isolation coaches meant for coronavirus-infected people were yet to be deployed as he highlighted that 50 per cent of them will be used to run Shramik Special trains. An order issued earlier this week stated that 60 per cent of around 5,200 coaches which have been converted so far will be used in migrant special trains. The railways is currently running 15 pairs of special trains on the Rajdhani route while 100 pairs of trains will begin operations from June 1.

Railways to operate 2,600 Shramik Special trains in next 10 days to ferry 36 lakh home

A high-level committee of experts has been formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked.

Faced with the ominous threat of the coronavirus infection, a number of steps such as fast-tracking the approval process for drugs, research and vaccine development were taken. A health ministry official said the aim of the panel is to identify and institutionalise these measures.

According to a recent Union Health Ministry order, the committee will study the current drug regulatory system and submit recommendations for reforms, so as to bring the system in line with global standards and make it more efficient.

"The issue of reforms in the Drug Regulatory System has been engaging the attention of the government for quite some time now.

"Although requisite procedural changes have been carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and have worked quite well, it is felt that comprehensive changes in the drug regulatory regime should be carried out to reflect global best practices as well as domestic requirements, and to streamline Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to make it more effective," the order issued on May 11 stated.

The committee chaired by Rajesh Bhushan, the OSD to the Union health minister, comprises top drug and vaccine entrepreneurs of

India along with officers nominated from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, ICMR along with public health expert from AIIMS.

The order stated, "While nominating a member, the ministries/ departments/ institutions should keep in mind that the officer being nominated should have a flexible approach and willing to consider far-reaching reforms with an open mind."

India's Joint Drug Controller Dr Eswara Reddy will assist the committee in their work on adopting global best practices. The committee, which has met twice till now, will submit its report within one month from the date of its formation.

The committee has been asked by the ministry to also study earlier reports given by the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on clinical trials and working of the CDSCO and address the unimplemented recommendations of the previous panels.&nbsp;

A high-level committee of experts has been formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked.

A high-level committee of experts has been formed by the government to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system so that approval processes can be fast-tracked. Faced with the ominous threat of the coronavirus infection, a number of steps such as fast-tracking the approval process for drugs, research and vaccine development were taken. A health ministry official said the aim of the panel is to identify and institutionalise these measures. According to a recent Union Health Ministry order, the committee will study the current drug regulatory system and submit recommendations for reforms, so as to bring the system in line with global standards and make it more efficient. "The issue of reforms in the Drug Regulatory System has been engaging the attention of the government for quite some time now. "Although requisite procedural changes have been carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and have worked quite well, it is felt that comprehensive changes in the drug regulatory regime should be carried out to reflect global best practices as well as domestic requirements, and to streamline Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to make it more effective," the order issued on May 11 stated. The committee chaired by Rajesh Bhushan, the OSD to the Union health minister, comprises top drug and vaccine entrepreneurs of India along with officers nominated from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, ICMR along with public health expert from AIIMS. The order stated, "While nominating a member, the ministries/ departments/ institutions should keep in mind that the officer being nominated should have a flexible approach and willing to consider far-reaching reforms with an open mind." India's Joint Drug Controller Dr Eswara Reddy will assist the committee in their work on adopting global best practices. The committee, which has met twice till now, will submit its report within one month from the date of its formation. The committee has been asked by the ministry to also study earlier reports given by the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on clinical trials and working of the CDSCO and address the unimplemented recommendations of the previous panels.

High-level panel formed to recommend reforms in India's drug regulatory system

Passengers of a Shramik Special train from Bengaluru to Bihar, protested against the poor resources available to the passengers during the travel. The protestors hurled brickbats in the railway station on Saturday morning.

The Indian government, alongwith Indian railways, has been running special trains, Shramik trains, to help migrant workers travel back to their hometowns.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-highest-spike-of-6654-cases-in-24-hours-india-crosses-125-lakh-mark-300538">Also read:&nbsp;With highest spike of 6,654 cases in 24 hours, India crosses 1.25 lakh-mark</a>

The incident happened at Unnao railway station.&nbsp;Unnao District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said the train had no stoppage at Unnao railway station. But since the route was not clear, the train had to stop at the station, he said.

The passengers deboarded the train and hurled stones at the train and the station, complaining that there was no food and water available during the travel. The passengers alleged&nbsp;that even the toilets had no water.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel pacified the passengers and the train started its onward journey.

(With inputs from PTI)

Passengers of a Shramik Special train from Bengaluru to Bihar, protested against the poor resources available to the passengers during the travel. The protestors hurled brickbats in the railway station on Saturday morning.

Passengers of a Shramik Special train from Bengaluru to Bihar, protested against the poor resources available to the passengers during the travel. The protestors hurled brickbats in the railway station on Saturday morning. The Indian government, alongwith Indian railways, has been running special trains, Shramik trains, to help migrant workers travel back to their hometowns. Also read: With highest spike of 6,654 cases in 24 hours, India crosses 1.25 lakh-mark The incident happened at Unnao railway station. Unnao District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said the train had no stoppage at Unnao railway station. But since the route was not clear, the train had to stop at the station, he said. The passengers deboarded the train and hurled stones at the train and the station, complaining that there was no food and water available during the travel. The passengers alleged that even the toilets had no water. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel pacified the passengers and the train started its onward journey. (With inputs from PTI)

Passenger hurl stones at Shramik special train; no food and water available

Sprinklr has stated that the US-based company has destroyed all the backup COVID-19 data that the Kerala government had handed over to the company.

This comes after an affidavit was filed in a case challenging the usage of data by the company. The Kerala government had few days ago declared all COVID related data was transferred to the government-owned cloud web space in April itself.

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United States-based company Sprinklr, which was entrusted with handling data related to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> patients, has informed Kerala High Court that it has deleted all backup data shared with it by the state govt.
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Kerala&nbsp;government has also assured that no data was shared with Sprinklr after the data was transferred to the cloud. They also reassured the High Court that if any data had to be shared in the future, it will be anonymised.

The High Court has restrained the US-based company to use the data without anonymising it. Sprinklr has now confirmed that all the data that was entrusted by the Kerala government has been erased by the company.

The government has asked to make sure that if any data is shared with any third parties, the data has to be anonymised and a proper protocol has to be followed.

The state government, however, feels that the allegation from the opponent political party&nbsp;of breaching privacy of the public using the COVI patients data, was simply a move that was motivated with the intention of defaming the government.

Sprinklr has stated that the US-based company has destroyed all the backup COVID-19 data that the Kerala government had handed over to the company. This comes after an affidavit was filed in a case challenging the usage of data by the company.

Sprinklr has stated that the US-based company has destroyed all the backup COVID-19 data that the Kerala government had handed over to the company. This comes after an affidavit was filed in a case challenging the usage of data by the company. The Kerala government had few days ago declared all COVID related data was transferred to the government-owned cloud web space in April itself. United States-based company Sprinklr, which was entrusted with handling data related to #COVID19 patients, has informed Kerala High Court that it has deleted all backup data shared with it by the state govt. — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2020 × Kerala government has also assured that no data was shared with Sprinklr after the data was transferred to the cloud. They also reassured the High Court that if any data had to be shared in the future, it will be anonymised. The High Court has restrained the US-based company to use the data without anonymising it. Sprinklr has now confirmed that all the data that was entrusted by the Kerala government has been erased by the company. The government has asked to make sure that if any data is shared with any third parties, the data has to be anonymised and a proper protocol has to be followed. The state government, however, feels that the allegation from the opponent political party of breaching privacy of the public using the COVI patients data, was simply a move that was motivated with the intention of defaming the government.

Sprinklr deletes all backup data on COVID-19 patients of Kerala

The Indian mission in Cambodia is actively working with the authorities of both countries to ensure trade does not get much impacted due to the coronavirus crisis.&nbsp;

Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Phnom Penh, Indian envoy to Cambodia Manika Jain said 200 Indians wanted to go back to India and for that, the mission is "coordinating with the headquarters to arrange for evacuation as soon as possible."&nbsp;

The Indian mission has also donated masks, sanitisers to a Cheychamnas Referral Hospital in the country with which it has a long-standing relationship.&nbsp;

Wion: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country? Any plans of repatriation? Any Indian infected with COVID?

Manika Jain: In March before the lockdown in India, Indian tourists in Cambodia were assisted to take a flight out from Thailand and Singapore as countries began to enforce travel restrictions due to the pandemic. The mission reached out to Indians through community organisations, embassy website, social media, emails as well as a 24-hour helpline. Further, I formed a task force consisting of prominent members to discuss the issue and provide help. We maintained regular contact through the community, WhatsApp, and video conference.&nbsp;

And we have also provided food and shelter to needy Indians who are stranded and have no resources. We visited the guest houses in which Indians have been accommodated to make sure that they are being taken care of and they do not have any issues. We also meet them regularly and guide them if they are in need of any further assistance. We are also providing medicines to those who need them. Fortunately, there are no coronavirus cases among Indians in Cambodia. Regarding the evacuation of Indian nationals from Cambodia, earlier the number of stranded Indians who wanted to go back to India were few. But now we have 200 people who are eager to return -- so we have been trying our best and coordinating with the headquarter to arrange for evacuation as soon as possible.&nbsp;

Wion: How are India and Cambodia cooperating over the pandemic?&nbsp;

Manika Jain: India and Cambodia have friendly relations and the two countries have always cooperated in the past. We are cooperating during the current period of difficulties as well and hope to maintain the warm relations in the future too.&nbsp;

One important thing Cambodia is doing is that it is automatically extending the tourist visas of Indians who came to the country after January 1, 2020 and whose visas had expired during the period when travel restrictions were put in place. For other types of visas, the mission also has been taking the matter on case to case basis, with the foreign office and we are getting the necessary assistance.&nbsp;

Since trade has been severely impacted during the pandemic, the mission has been able to get assistance from Indian and Cambodian authorities in cases of import disruption, problems of custom clearances. Regarding assistance to Cambodia, we have donated material such as masks, sanitisers, soaps etc to a hospital in Cambodia with whom we have a long relationship. The hospital was very appreciative of our help, this institution has the only centre in the country treating child and adolescent mental disabilities and it is doing exceptional work. An Indian travel company is also trying to evacuate stranded Cambodians from India and get them back to the country. Overall Cambodia is appreciative of the steps taken by India in containing the pandemic.

 
Wion: How has the ground situation in Cambodia changed? And how have Indian diplomats been faring?

Manika Jain: Cambodia has been fortunate to not have any lethal effects of the pandemic. Till date, no death has been reported. The total number of infected cases were 12 -- we have not seen single addition in last one and half months. All 122 patients were cured and out of these 122, more than 60 were foreigners.&nbsp;

Despite weak health infrastructure and limited testing, I would say Cambodia with the help of international partners has been able to contain the pandemic well. As mentioned earlier, no Indians were infected. A complete lockdown was never enforced; some restrictions were put in place. They are being slowly eased off, particularly because the Cambodian economy has been hard hit. We are following social distancing and wearing masks, and govt has been cautioning the people in continuing the precaution in order to prevent the second wave. The international community including WHO is weary of a second stronger wave of infections. Many foreigners and diplomats continue to work from home and Indian diplomats are also taking physical precautions like others, but haven't stopped working even during the peak of infection. &nbsp;

The Indian mission in Cambodia is actively working with the authorities of both countries to ensure trade does not get much impacted due to the coronavirus crisis.

The Indian mission in Cambodia is actively working with the authorities of both countries to ensure trade does not get much impacted due to the coronavirus crisis. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Phnom Penh, Indian envoy to Cambodia Manika Jain said 200 Indians wanted to go back to India and for that, the mission is "coordinating with the headquarters to arrange for evacuation as soon as possible." The Indian mission has also donated masks, sanitisers to a Cheychamnas Referral Hospital in the country with which it has a long-standing relationship. Wion: How is the Indian mission reaching to stranded Indians in the country? Any plans of repatriation? Any Indian infected with COVID? Manika Jain: In March before the lockdown in India, Indian tourists in Cambodia were assisted to take a flight out from Thailand and Singapore as countries began to enforce travel restrictions due to the pandemic. The mission reached out to Indians through community organisations, embassy website, social media, emails as well as a 24-hour helpline. Further, I formed a task force consisting of prominent members to discuss the issue and provide help. We maintained regular contact through the community, WhatsApp, and video conference. And we have also provided food and shelter to needy Indians who are stranded and have no resources. We visited the guest houses in which Indians have been accommodated to make sure that they are being taken care of and they do not have any issues. We also meet them regularly and guide them if they are in need of any further assistance. We are also providing medicines to those who need them. Fortunately, there are no coronavirus cases among Indians in Cambodia. Regarding the evacuation of Indian nationals from Cambodia, earlier the number of stranded Indians who wanted to go back to India were few. But now we have 200 people who are eager to return -- so we have been trying our best and coordinating with the headquarter to arrange for evacuation as soon as possible. Wion: How are India and Cambodia cooperating over the pandemic? Manika Jain: India and Cambodia have friendly relations and the two countries have always cooperated in the past. We are cooperating during the current period of difficulties as well and hope to maintain the warm relations in the future too. One important thing Cambodia is doing is that it is automatically extending the tourist visas of Indians who came to the country after January 1, 2020 and whose visas had expired during the period when travel restrictions were put in place. For other types of visas, the mission also has been taking the matter on case to case basis, with the foreign office and we are getting the necessary assistance. Since trade has been severely impacted during the pandemic, the mission has been able to get assistance from Indian and Cambodian authorities in cases of import disruption, problems of custom clearances. Regarding assistance to Cambodia, we have donated material such as masks, sanitisers, soaps etc to a hospital in Cambodia with whom we have a long relationship. The hospital was very appreciative of our help, this institution has the only centre in the country treating child and adolescent mental disabilities and it is doing exceptional work. An Indian travel company is also trying to evacuate stranded Cambodians from India and get them back to the country. Overall Cambodia is appreciative of the steps taken by India in containing the pandemic. Wion: How has the ground situation in Cambodia changed? And how have Indian diplomats been faring? Manika Jain: Cambodia has been fortunate to not have any lethal effects of the pandemic. Till date, no death has been reported. The total number of infected cases were 12 -- we have not seen single addition in last one and half months. All 122 patients were cured and out of these 122, more than 60 were foreigners. Despite weak health infrastructure and limited testing, I would say Cambodia with the help of international partners has been able to contain the pandemic well. As mentioned earlier, no Indians were infected. A complete lockdown was never enforced; some restrictions were put in place. They are being slowly eased off, particularly because the Cambodian economy has been hard hit. We are following social distancing and wearing masks, and govt has been cautioning the people in continuing the precaution in order to prevent the second wave. The international community including WHO is weary of a second stronger wave of infections. Many foreigners and diplomats continue to work from home and Indian diplomats are also taking physical precautions like others, but haven't stopped working even during the peak of infection.

India, Cambodia ensure trade doesn't get affected amid coronavirus crisis

In a very interesting and proactive development, 25 stranded Indians were brought back from Tunisia in a military plane, which was en route Thailand and Vietnam.

Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Tunis, Indian envoy to Tunisia Puneet Roy Kundal, while giving the details of the operation, thanked the Tunisian government and said, Indian diplomats in Tunisia have been personally speaking to Indians stranded in the country every week. Meanwhile, India has made sure no Tunisian government officials have been stranded in India and all were brought back before lockdown kicked in.&nbsp;

WION: How are both countries cooperating during the current times of covid crisis? 
Puneet R. Kundal: India and Tunisia have a very historic relationship that goes back to 1958 when Tunisia got its independence. On the issue of COVID, Tunisia is not as badly hit as we are, as of now they have 1046 cases, with 883 recoveries and 47 deaths. So they have managed to keep it under control.

They follow, a similar containment strategy like we did, in terms of having a strict lockdown, complete lockdown, the prohibition of flights from outside and stopping movement between various cities and governorates. They have been able to control the situation. They are also in the process of requesting govt of India to provide them with some medicines, we don't have a formal request as yet. Informally I have been told, we will have a request from the govt, much in keeping with India's tag as the pharmacy of the world.

We have have been cooperating with Tunisia in providing the e-ITEC courses for Tunisian health professionals to help them fight the COVID pandemic. But there are some very good things that have emerged for Tunisia in this pandemic, most of these have been observed by foreign media. Like they have used, the robotic vehicle, for example, to enforce the lockdown on the streets. They are also using the robotic vehicle to help in checking of the people at the hospitals.

Tunisia has also created a web-based platform that scans lung X rays and evaluates if the person has COVID or does not has COVID. In terms of their progress on COVID, they have managed to decode local strain of the COVID virus, a local institute called the Pasteur institute is actively working on developing vaccination against COVID. They have been largely successful till now in handling the crisis. The biggest thing they did for us is that they allowed 25 Indians nationals who were stranded here to fly back on a Tunisian military aircraft that left Tunisia on 21st of May 2020 and reached on 22nd of May

 
WION: Coming to bringing back stranded Indians, Tunisian military aircraft brought back Indians. If you can give details. 
Puneet R. Kundal: When the Vande Bharat mission started, the focus was on getting back the Indians from abroad, especially the blue collared workers. We only had 45 Indians here who were in the category of stranded Indian nationals. Therefore, organising a flight for 45 people, hailing from 10 different states in India, was always an uphill task. Tunisia has been sending its aircraft for getting Tunisians back from various cities. And we were on a lookout as and when they have an aircraft heading to India or anywhere in the east, we can request them to help us. We were told three days back, a Tunisian cargo aircraft of the military that was going to Vietnam and Thailand and will pick up stranded Tunisians from Delhi.

So at that stage, we sprung into action, we contacted, the embassy of Tunisia in Delhi, we contacted the foreign office here and requested them to accommodate Indians nationals on the flight. At the end of the day, 25 Indian nationals were interested in taking this flight. The government of Tunisia very kindly agreed to take them on board. I was at the airport and made sure all the Indians to do the COVID negative test first of all. They were spread across 4-5 cities across Tunisia. We established contact with concerned hospitals all across the country and made sure they underwent the test smoothly. Then we made arrangements for them to travel to Tunis, in the capital we arranged a hotel for them and made sure there is no problem when it comes to check-in and being looked after here.

On the morning of the flight, I was at the airport and made sure each of them boards the flight comfortably and I must say the process was extremely smooth and the embassy, all the staff worked hard. The Indian nationals who were in the process of getting repatriated were extremely cooperative. There were tensed moments, moments when we had to rush through things. Every operation has its own moments but at it 25 boarded the plane and have reached India on 22nd May.

WION: How has the mission been reaching out to the stranded Indians, in terms of accommodation or food. A helpline is something, all missions have.. 
Puneet R. Kundal: So we had a 24*7 helpline, that was available and we got everyone to register at the embassy. But one thing we did, since the number was less, was that we spoke to each person at least twice a week. We assigned our consular office here, who spoke to each person once or twice a week. I personally spoke to a few of them who were more anxious than others, including one 19-year-old medical student who was staying with a Tunisian family.

I must express thanks to that family as well, they gave him food, shelter and took good care of him for the last two months. So we made it point to reach out to each and every stranded Indian here, establishing touch with them once a week, attending to the questions. We made sure if they had a medical requirement that was taken care off. Most of them were in the professional category so no financial element involved but reaching out to them, giving them moral support, speaking them regularly, keeping the spirits high in this time was the main challenge.

WION: How has life been for Indian diplomats, for you, how much reliance for digital diplomacy has increased... 
Puneet R. Kundal: Life is now digital, we really shifted a lot of activity to the digital platform. I must say the entire process started with PM of India reaching out to the SAARC leaders. Reaching out to the G20, with our FM S Jaishankar reaching out to all the counterparts using digital technology, that really spurred us on as well. The country has good digital infrastructure. We shifted whole lot of digital activities online as well. &nbsp;The pace of the work also slackened down a bit but we tried to carry on the activity. We offered Tunisia e ITEC programmes. 120 Tunisians travelled to India every year.

Post-COVID, it was not possible so we were providing them training on COVID module by electronic means to get them involved via our training programmes, to keep up the pace of our training programme. In fact, I must also here add that there were 6 Tunisian nationals who were in India just before the lockdown and we brought them back here before we went into lockdown. That was also something worthy of notice that we made sure no Tunisian govt officials or trainees from our side who were stranded in India. We made sure each of them got back, there were 6 of these who were in India.&nbsp;

WION: Increased focus on digital diplomacy, but how have the ties been between the countries, how do you see ties in a post covid world?&nbsp; 
Puneet R. Kundal: Digital diplomacy is here to stay. We understand that, they understand that. As I said, Tunisia has a good digital infrastructure backbone. They have been carrying out a whole lot of interactions, with multilateral organisations and forums digitally. We also expect that there will be a telephonic conversation between our Foreign minister and Tunisian FM very soon. There is a whole lot of interaction that goes on and we have been trying to inform the Tunisian side that life has to continue and life has to continue in a digital manner. This has also been taken cognizance by our ministry of external affairs in Delhi and we hope very soon we have some digital meetings we should be proud of before life resumes and actual travel starts.

Tunisia and India have a bilateral trade of 445 million dollars, this was a figure for last year. And one of the most important areas of cooperation is in the area of Phosphate. We have a bilateral investment project called Tunisia India fertiliser plant and India is committed to buying 100% of the output of the plant. That is the flagship of our cooperation, and it cut both ways --we get our phosphoric acid in a reliable fashion from Tunisia and the country gets 180-235 million dollars annually which adds to the resources of the country. Big companies like TATA and Mahindra produce vehicles here, we have electrical companies.

In fact, I am happy to tell you, on 20th may an Indian company has won the contract for building substations here. COVID or no COVID, bilateral interaction especially in economic and trade field is continuing. Politically the foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar was here, he met with the President and Speaker of the Parliament and had detailed discussions with his counterpart here. This is in addition to the regular interaction we have with Tunisia at the UN, Tunisia is the non-permanent member of the UNSC for this year and next year and we have a whole lot of cooperation with them at the multilateral forums in Geneva and New York. We have supported Tunisian candidature at several forums as have they, it ongoing cooperation because we have a similarity of vision on a lot of issues of multilateral interest.&nbsp;

In a very interesting and proactive development, 25 stranded Indians were brought back from Tunisia in a military plane, which was en route Thailand and Vietnam.

In a very interesting and proactive development, 25 stranded Indians were brought back from Tunisia in a military plane, which was en route Thailand and Vietnam. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Tunis, Indian envoy to Tunisia Puneet Roy Kundal, while giving the details of the operation, thanked the Tunisian government and said, Indian diplomats in Tunisia have been personally speaking to Indians stranded in the country every week. Meanwhile, India has made sure no Tunisian government officials have been stranded in India and all were brought back before lockdown kicked in. WION: How are both countries cooperating during the current times of covid crisis? Puneet R. Kundal: India and Tunisia have a very historic relationship that goes back to 1958 when Tunisia got its independence. On the issue of COVID, Tunisia is not as badly hit as we are, as of now they have 1046 cases, with 883 recoveries and 47 deaths. So they have managed to keep it under control. They follow, a similar containment strategy like we did, in terms of having a strict lockdown, complete lockdown, the prohibition of flights from outside and stopping movement between various cities and governorates. They have been able to control the situation. They are also in the process of requesting govt of India to provide them with some medicines, we don't have a formal request as yet. Informally I have been told, we will have a request from the govt, much in keeping with India's tag as the pharmacy of the world. We have have been cooperating with Tunisia in providing the e-ITEC courses for Tunisian health professionals to help them fight the COVID pandemic. But there are some very good things that have emerged for Tunisia in this pandemic, most of these have been observed by foreign media. Like they have used, the robotic vehicle, for example, to enforce the lockdown on the streets. They are also using the robotic vehicle to help in checking of the people at the hospitals. Tunisia has also created a web-based platform that scans lung X rays and evaluates if the person has COVID or does not has COVID. In terms of their progress on COVID, they have managed to decode local strain of the COVID virus, a local institute called the Pasteur institute is actively working on developing vaccination against COVID. They have been largely successful till now in handling the crisis. The biggest thing they did for us is that they allowed 25 Indians nationals who were stranded here to fly back on a Tunisian military aircraft that left Tunisia on 21st of May 2020 and reached on 22nd of May WION: Coming to bringing back stranded Indians, Tunisian military aircraft brought back Indians. If you can give details. Puneet R. Kundal: When the Vande Bharat mission started, the focus was on getting back the Indians from abroad, especially the blue collared workers. We only had 45 Indians here who were in the category of stranded Indian nationals. Therefore, organising a flight for 45 people, hailing from 10 different states in India, was always an uphill task. Tunisia has been sending its aircraft for getting Tunisians back from various cities. And we were on a lookout as and when they have an aircraft heading to India or anywhere in the east, we can request them to help us. We were told three days back, a Tunisian cargo aircraft of the military that was going to Vietnam and Thailand and will pick up stranded Tunisians from Delhi. So at that stage, we sprung into action, we contacted, the embassy of Tunisia in Delhi, we contacted the foreign office here and requested them to accommodate Indians nationals on the flight. At the end of the day, 25 Indian nationals were interested in taking this flight. The government of Tunisia very kindly agreed to take them on board. I was at the airport and made sure all the Indians to do the COVID negative test first of all. They were spread across 4-5 cities across Tunisia. We established contact with concerned hospitals all across the country and made sure they underwent the test smoothly. Then we made arrangements for them to travel to Tunis, in the capital we arranged a hotel for them and made sure there is no problem when it comes to check-in and being looked after here. On the morning of the flight, I was at the airport and made sure each of them boards the flight comfortably and I must say the process was extremely smooth and the embassy, all the staff worked hard. The Indian nationals who were in the process of getting repatriated were extremely cooperative. There were tensed moments, moments when we had to rush through things. Every operation has its own moments but at it 25 boarded the plane and have reached India on 22nd May. WION: How has the mission been reaching out to the stranded Indians, in terms of accommodation or food. A helpline is something, all missions have.. Puneet R. Kundal: So we had a 24*7 helpline, that was available and we got everyone to register at the embassy. But one thing we did, since the number was less, was that we spoke to each person at least twice a week. We assigned our consular office here, who spoke to each person once or twice a week. I personally spoke to a few of them who were more anxious than others, including one 19-year-old medical student who was staying with a Tunisian family. I must express thanks to that family as well, they gave him food, shelter and took good care of him for the last two months. So we made it point to reach out to each and every stranded Indian here, establishing touch with them once a week, attending to the questions. We made sure if they had a medical requirement that was taken care off. Most of them were in the professional category so no financial element involved but reaching out to them, giving them moral support, speaking them regularly, keeping the spirits high in this time was the main challenge. WION: How has life been for Indian diplomats, for you, how much reliance for digital diplomacy has increased... Puneet R. Kundal: Life is now digital, we really shifted a lot of activity to the digital platform. I must say the entire process started with PM of India reaching out to the SAARC leaders. Reaching out to the G20, with our FM S Jaishankar reaching out to all the counterparts using digital technology, that really spurred us on as well. The country has good digital infrastructure. We shifted whole lot of digital activities online as well. The pace of the work also slackened down a bit but we tried to carry on the activity. We offered Tunisia e ITEC programmes. 120 Tunisians travelled to India every year. Post-COVID, it was not possible so we were providing them training on COVID module by electronic means to get them involved via our training programmes, to keep up the pace of our training programme. In fact, I must also here add that there were 6 Tunisian nationals who were in India just before the lockdown and we brought them back here before we went into lockdown. That was also something worthy of notice that we made sure no Tunisian govt officials or trainees from our side who were stranded in India. We made sure each of them got back, there were 6 of these who were in India. WION: Increased focus on digital diplomacy, but how have the ties been between the countries, how do you see ties in a post covid world? Puneet R. Kundal: Digital diplomacy is here to stay. We understand that, they understand that. As I said, Tunisia has a good digital infrastructure backbone. They have been carrying out a whole lot of interactions, with multilateral organisations and forums digitally. We also expect that there will be a telephonic conversation between our Foreign minister and Tunisian FM very soon. There is a whole lot of interaction that goes on and we have been trying to inform the Tunisian side that life has to continue and life has to continue in a digital manner. This has also been taken cognizance by our ministry of external affairs in Delhi and we hope very soon we have some digital meetings we should be proud of before life resumes and actual travel starts. Tunisia and India have a bilateral trade of 445 million dollars, this was a figure for last year. And one of the most important areas of cooperation is in the area of Phosphate. We have a bilateral investment project called Tunisia India fertiliser plant and India is committed to buying 100% of the output of the plant. That is the flagship of our cooperation, and it cut both ways --we get our phosphoric acid in a reliable fashion from Tunisia and the country gets 180-235 million dollars annually which adds to the resources of the country. Big companies like TATA and Mahindra produce vehicles here, we have electrical companies. In fact, I am happy to tell you, on 20th may an Indian company has won the contract for building substations here. COVID or no COVID, bilateral interaction especially in economic and trade field is continuing. Politically the foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar was here, he met with the President and Speaker of the Parliament and had detailed discussions with his counterpart here. This is in addition to the regular interaction we have with Tunisia at the UN, Tunisia is the non-permanent member of the UNSC for this year and next year and we have a whole lot of cooperation with them at the multilateral forums in Geneva and New York. We have supported Tunisian candidature at several forums as have they, it ongoing cooperation because we have a similarity of vision on a lot of issues of multilateral interest.

Tunisian military plane enroute to East Asia brings back 25 stranded Indians; Indian envoy Kundal thanks the govt

Cyclone Amphan, which tore through West Bengal this week, has caused a damage of Rs 1 trillion ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops.

Neighbouring Bangladesh, which also fell in Cyclone Amphan's path on Wednesday, said it had suffered a loss of 11 billion taka ($130 million). But this could rise, government officials said.

The cyclone has affected more than 13 million people. The two countries have lost at least 102 people in the cyclone, the most powerful in over a decade, mostly because of house collapses and electrocution. More than 3 million people were evacuated before Amphan made landfall, preventing a large number of deaths.

Many people are in relief camps across the state, amid concern that social distancing norms need to be followed for the prevention of a spread of coronavirus cases.

The cyclone also destroyed farmland in Bangladesh's low-lying coastal areas, damage that will likely endanger livelihoods. 
&nbsp;

Cyclone Amphan, which tore through West Bengal this week, has caused a damage of Rs 1 trillion ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops. Neighbouring Bangladesh, which also fell in Cyclone Amphan's path on Wednesday, said it had suffered a loss of 11 billion taka ($130 million).

Cyclone Amphan, which tore through West Bengal this week, has caused a damage of Rs 1 trillion ($13 billion) to infrastructure and crops. Neighbouring Bangladesh, which also fell in Cyclone Amphan's path on Wednesday, said it had suffered a loss of 11 billion taka ($130 million). But this could rise, government officials said. The cyclone has affected more than 13 million people. The two countries have lost at least 102 people in the cyclone, the most powerful in over a decade, mostly because of house collapses and electrocution. More than 3 million people were evacuated before Amphan made landfall, preventing a large number of deaths. Many people are in relief camps across the state, amid concern that social distancing norms need to be followed for the prevention of a spread of coronavirus cases. The cyclone also destroyed farmland in Bangladesh's low-lying coastal areas, damage that will likely endanger livelihoods.

Cyclone Amphan loss estimated at Rs 1 trillion in India

Two Naxals, one of them carrying a reward on his head, were on Saturday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said.

The gun battle broke out at around 12:30 pm in the forest of Mankapal village under Gadiras police station area when a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on a counter-insurgency operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

The operation was launched on a specific input about the presence ultras, he said. After a brief exchange of fire, the ultras fled into the dense forest, he said. During search, police recovered bodies of two male ultras, he added.

They are identified as Gundadhur, an LGS (local guerrilla squad) commander of Malangir area committee of Maoists, and Aaytu who was a security guard of a senior cadre Vinod (a divisional committee member), the IG said.

Gundadhur was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, he said. Further details are awaited, he added.

Two Naxals, one of them carrying a reward on his head, were on Saturday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said.

Two Naxals, one of them carrying a reward on his head, were on Saturday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said. The gun battle broke out at around 12:30 pm in the forest of Mankapal village under Gadiras police station area when a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on a counter-insurgency operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI. The operation was launched on a specific input about the presence ultras, he said. After a brief exchange of fire, the ultras fled into the dense forest, he said. During search, police recovered bodies of two male ultras, he added. They are identified as Gundadhur, an LGS (local guerrilla squad) commander of Malangir area committee of Maoists, and Aaytu who was a security guard of a senior cadre Vinod (a divisional committee member), the IG said. Gundadhur was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, he said. Further details are awaited, he added.

Two naxals killed in encounter with police in Chhattisgarh

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that the number of international passenger flights will be increased in the coming days. ''We are doing the best we can and adding more flights,'' he said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that the number of international passenger flights will be increased in the coming days. ''We are doing the best we can and adding more flights,'' he said. ''Arogya Setu app is something I would suggest to everyone as it is an excellent contact-tracing app. There is nothing comparable to this app,'' he further said. ''If you have taken a test and your test report is negative, following you don't have any symptoms, so I believe there should be no need for quarantine. The Arogya Setu app is like a passport if your status on the app is green. Why should anyone want any quarantine,'' he added. The minister said that he will put in place arrangements to make sure that people can able to travel to the airport without any issue. Borders between Delhi-Haryana and Delhi -Uttar Pradesh is the matter of the state governments and they will deal with it, he added.

We will increase international  flights in coming days: Union civil aviation minister

At a time when there is stand-off at three locations in the Ladakh sector with Chinese troops, Army Chief General MM Naravane visited Leh to review the ongoing situation with the field commanders here. 
 
The top military field Commanders in Leh including the Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General YK Joshi, 14 Corps Chief Lieutenant&nbsp;General Harinder Singh and other senior officers briefed the Army Chief on the LAC situation. 
 
Sources said there is stand-off situation at three locations including the Galwan Nala area where over 300 troops each from the Chinese side have come to stake claim. 
 
The Indian Army field Commanders have been holding talks with their Chinese counterparts on the situation and finding a way out of it, the sources said. 
 
The stand offs have taken place mainly due to the Chinese objection to Indian road construction activities in the Galwan Nala area and the DBO sector. 
 
Sources said that it was after the Chinese infrastructure development that the Indian side also built proper network of roads on its side of the LAC using the Border Roads Organisation. 
 
Even though the Chinese choppers have been flying close to the Indian patrolling line in the Galwan Nala area, they raise objections over Indian flying activities in the area. 
 
The situation is being monitored closely by the top brass in the national security domain and efforts are being made to deescalate the situation.

At a time when there is stand-off at three locations in the Ladakh sector with Chinese troops, Army Chief General MM Naravane visited Leh to review the ongoing situation with the field commanders here.

At a time when there is stand-off at three locations in the Ladakh sector with Chinese troops, Army Chief General MM Naravane visited Leh to review the ongoing situation with the field commanders here. The top military field Commanders in Leh including the Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General YK Joshi, 14 Corps Chief Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and other senior officers briefed the Army Chief on the LAC situation. Sources said there is stand-off situation at three locations including the Galwan Nala area where over 300 troops each from the Chinese side have come to stake claim. The Indian Army field Commanders have been holding talks with their Chinese counterparts on the situation and finding a way out of it, the sources said. The stand offs have taken place mainly due to the Chinese objection to Indian road construction activities in the Galwan Nala area and the DBO sector. Sources said that it was after the Chinese infrastructure development that the Indian side also built proper network of roads on its side of the LAC using the Border Roads Organisation. Even though the Chinese choppers have been flying close to the Indian patrolling line in the Galwan Nala area, they raise objections over Indian flying activities in the area. The situation is being monitored closely by the top brass in the national security domain and efforts are being made to deescalate the situation.

Army chief visits Ladakh to review LAC situation amid rising tensions

India is preparing to battle a locust influx which has invaded Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh also warned against the locust infestation. Watch this video to know more.

India prepares to battle locust influx, invades Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Railway Ministry not to send Shramik Special trains to the state till May 26 in view of Cyclone Amphan.

The letter from West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Chairman of Railway board V K Yadav dated May 22, stated that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wb-govt-not-allowing-trains-with-migrants-to-reach-state-shah-writes-to-mamata-297621">WB govt not allowing trains with migrants to reach state; Shah writes to Mamata</a>

"As the district administrations are involved in relief and rehabilitation works, it will not be possible to receive special trains for the next few days. It is therefore requested that no train should be sent to West Bengal till May 26," she said.

At least 86 people in West Bengal have died due to Cyclone Amphan. With normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disaster, the authorities have been scrambling to restore normalcy.

West Bengal has received the least number of Shramik Special trains since such service began to ferry migrant labourers back home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown.

In fact, Home Minister Amit Shah in a letter had alleged that Bengal was not allowing its migrants to return. Later, it was decided that the consent of the destination state was not required to operate these trains.

So far, over 2,000 Shramik Special trains have been operated since May 1 ferrying over 31 lakh migrant workers. Around 25 trains have terminated in Bengal so far.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Railway Ministry not to send Shramik Special trains to the state till May 26 in view of Cyclone Amphan. The letter from West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Chairman of Railway board V K Yadav dated May 22, stated that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Railway Ministry not to send Shramik Special trains to the state till May 26 in view of Cyclone Amphan. The letter from West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Chairman of Railway board V K Yadav dated May 22, stated that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. Also read: WB govt not allowing trains with migrants to reach state; Shah writes to Mamata "As the district administrations are involved in relief and rehabilitation works, it will not be possible to receive special trains for the next few days. It is therefore requested that no train should be sent to West Bengal till May 26," she said. At least 86 people in West Bengal have died due to Cyclone Amphan. With normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disaster, the authorities have been scrambling to restore normalcy. West Bengal has received the least number of Shramik Special trains since such service began to ferry migrant labourers back home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown. In fact, Home Minister Amit Shah in a letter had alleged that Bengal was not allowing its migrants to return. Later, it was decided that the consent of the destination state was not required to operate these trains. So far, over 2,000 Shramik Special trains have been operated since May 1 ferrying over 31 lakh migrant workers. Around 25 trains have terminated in Bengal so far.

West Bengal asks Railways not to send Shramik Special trains to state till May 26

The Indian government on Thursday refuted China's claims that India was carrying out activities in violation of the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Sikkim.

"Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western Sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate," the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava told the media during a virtual press briefing.

All Indian activities, he said, are entirely on the Indian side of the LAC.&nbsp;

"In fact, it is Chinese side that has recently undertaken activity hindering India's normal patrolling patterns."

The spokesperson said that Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously.

The Indian troops strictly follow the procedures laid down in various bilateral agreements and protocols to resolve any situations which may arise due to difference in the perception of the LAC.

The spokesperson said India and China have established mechanisms to resolve such situations peacefully through dialogue. He added Indian side remains firmly committed to work for the common objective of maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas.

"This is an essential prerequisite to the further development of Indian-China bilateral relations," he said.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has erected a sizeable number of tents in the Galwan Valley of the Union Territory of Ladakh - an area over which India is sensitive about since the showdown in the 1962 war. In the first week of May, 250 Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area.

In the second week of May, around 150 soldiers of both sides had a face-off near Naku La Pass in Sikkim. In both the incidents, soldiers sustained injuries. Both India and China have now deployed addition troops both in tense areas of Galwan valley, Pangong Tso lake and several areas in northern Sikkim.

(with inputs from PTI)

The Indian government on Thursday refuted China's claims that India was carrying out activities in violation of the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Sikkim. "Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western Sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate," the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava told the media during a virtual press briefing.

The Indian government on Thursday refuted China's claims that India was carrying out activities in violation of the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and Sikkim. "Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western Sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate," the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava told the media during a virtual press briefing. All Indian activities, he said, are entirely on the Indian side of the LAC. "In fact, it is Chinese side that has recently undertaken activity hindering India's normal patrolling patterns." The spokesperson said that Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously. The Indian troops strictly follow the procedures laid down in various bilateral agreements and protocols to resolve any situations which may arise due to difference in the perception of the LAC. The spokesperson said India and China have established mechanisms to resolve such situations peacefully through dialogue. He added Indian side remains firmly committed to work for the common objective of maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas. "This is an essential prerequisite to the further development of Indian-China bilateral relations," he said. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has erected a sizeable number of tents in the Galwan Valley of the Union Territory of Ladakh - an area over which India is sensitive about since the showdown in the 1962 war. In the first week of May, 250 Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area. In the second week of May, around 150 soldiers of both sides had a face-off near Naku La Pass in Sikkim. In both the incidents, soldiers sustained injuries. Both India and China have now deployed addition troops both in tense areas of Galwan valley, Pangong Tso lake and several areas in northern Sikkim. (with inputs from PTI)

India refutes China's claims of activity in violation of Line of Actual Control

The Commonwealth which is the third biggest organisation in the world after the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement had lauded India's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, saying there is&nbsp;lot to learn from India.

Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from London, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said, PM Modi "led from the very beginning" and "followed WHO guidelines really faithfully".

Calling India's lockdown "necessary" to keep people safe, Patricia Scotland pointed out that not only "India looked after its own but also reached out to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles."&nbsp;She also talked about the "heartbreaking" Cyclone Amphan and the existential challenge of climate change. &nbsp;

WION: What has been Commonwealth's response during the COVID-19 crisis. The health ministers of the Commonwealth met?

Patricia Scotland: What we know and you are right, we have 2.4 billion people in our Commonwealth and important to remember, 60 per cent&nbsp;of that 2.4 billion are&nbsp;under the age of 30.

We have a young vibrant population. Not only full of genius and opportunity and needs in terms of employability and what we have learnt after coming together, our 54 countries, is that we really need collaboration, coordination in order to support us with some of these quite existential threats which we are globally facing now, from climate change to the pandemic.

So what our health minister understand is this pandemic knows no border, it doesn't respect people or place and it reached its tentacles in all of our homes and all of our lives. The only way, we can respond effectively to this pandemic is by coming together in solidarity through&nbsp;government's, civil society and countries and institutions.

And that is what we in the Commonwealth are&nbsp;doing and that is the manifestation when we came together virtually at the world health assembly.

In preparation, we did what we always do in the Commonwealth, we did Commonwealth health ministers meeting so that we can talk amongst our members, the small ones, the large ones, the landlocked ones, the rich ones, the poor ones because in our family we are always determined to leave no one behind.

So when our family of ministers came together they were asking a number of very pertinent questions.

The first was, what do we do, what are all we facing and then they were asking how have each of us responded and what has worked, what has not worked, what do we need in terms of medicines, equipment, research and asked and shared what do we have.

Our family works on the basis that if one of us has something, we are willing to share with our brothers and sisters elsewhere.

If you look at Commonwealth health ministers statement, I believe, it is an inspirational statement of warmth, solidarity, brotherhood and a real understanding, that this pandemic will only be solved in multilateral, multifaceted and multidimensional cooperation and that is what shines out of the Commonwealth and I was so proud of the information given by every single one of our members, from Fiji in the Pacific to India in Asia.

Look at Ghana, Nigeria, UK, Canada all of us, the small island states in the Caribbean who have done such a fantastic job in keeping the&nbsp;virus at bay. So that collaboration was extraordinary. There was a lot of applause for what India has done, the way PM Modi has led from the very beginning.

WION:&nbsp;How do you see India's response and do you&nbsp;see it can be emulated across the Commonwealth?&nbsp;

Patricia Scotland: India has done an extraordinary job. If you look at when coronavirus attacked India, it was about the same time COVID-19 hit the US.

The US has about 330 million people and India has 1.35 billion people but look at what Mr Modi did, he followed, the WHO guidelines really faithfully.

That lockdown was so necessary because if you got 1.35 billion people, your most precious essence is your people if you have health, you can have wealth, but if you&nbsp;have no health, your people die, how will they become healthy and wealthy.

So putting people first, it has been very difficult for India, because India is spending 4.5 billion dollars a day because of the lockdown but India has put lives of its people first.

What is the consequence and the impact of what India has done, we have in India over a lakh case in India but look at the ability of India to reduce death with just around 3,300 deaths.

Each one is a tragedy, each one devastating for the family members. But look at&nbsp;comparatively speaking those numbers have been contained.

We only have to look at the tragedy unfolding in other countries. We have created a Commonwealth coronavirus tracker, it is updated every 24 hours.

We have over 42,000 recoveries, and every recovery for every family is a joy.

We have learnt a lot from what India has done how India has contained it. How India which as you know is the largest producer of generic drugs in the world, how India has not only looked after its own population but how she has reached out to others in the region, the assistance that has been given to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and look at how India has reached out to Seychelles and other small states.

The money India has put into the India fund which is in the UN and the fact that India has identified $50 million out of $150 million&nbsp;for&nbsp;south-south cooperation for the Commonwealth. That leadership role has been really important and the fact India has committed 10 per cent&nbsp;of its GDP to help in recoveries and people who are suffering directly.

I think that has been leadership and that has been inspirational. People have been talking about that 10 per cent&nbsp;amounting too $256 billion, real money put into the hands of the people of India. The money going directly through the JAM trinity, the policy had been everybody has a bank account, everyone has access to an individual identifier and that everyone has a mobile and that opportunity to make sure that money is getting directly into the hands of people who need it is so important particularly for women because we know that women are the one to look after the family, to feed them and care for them.

This opportunity to give money directly to women in their hands&nbsp;on their phones have made an extraordinary difference, a remarkable one, giving them independence and I think that has been the single most impactful thing India has done to take millions of people out of poverty.

It has been very impressive. People are watching, people are thankful, and the Commonwealth secretariat has been privileged to work very closely to work with India on a number of our objectives.&nbsp;

WION: How do u see India playing a lead role as the largest member of the grouping - both in terms of size and population?

Patricia Scotland: As you know, so many people are impressed by what India has done on Information and communications technology (ICT).

Your minister has been at the forefront of the development of mobile apps, and this interoperability between business and people and government facilitating and developing.

Minister Ravi Prasad has electrified the other members of our Commonwealth family. I remember clearly when the minister came to Sri Lanka for our law ministers&nbsp;meeting and the passion he had expressed on how we should have access to justice to every single person in our Commonwealth and our aspiration that we are going to link innovation and opportunity and the way in which India is trying to deliver services at one dollar per person.

If you look at our poorer countries, our developing countries, smaller countries, they fear or cannot aspire to do or replicate what the developed countries have done because of the cost. When they look at India, and the fact India is developing these things because of the huge population, she is developing these things at a scale and a cost which is accessible to so many. That brings hope.

I had a wonderful opportunity to come to India in January, talking to ministers, all of the elements and I understood India is focusing on how she can help the small, the vulnerable and the developing and I very much welcome that and I look forward to India to play a much bigger role in terms of our provision of technical assistance to our member states, this transfer of information.

People are very excited about the use of Jugaad because this is how to do, with what you have and turn it into something which is electrifying and successful by using innovation, so the work we are doing with India on small and medium-sized businesses.

The support India has given to trade facility, opportunity and all of these things are important and through the India Fund at the UN which has $50 million window for Commonwealth countries, we have been able to access to support for the Bahamas and Barbados.

Both of our small Caribbean nations,&nbsp;small states are anxious at this time, particularly due to climate change which is a threat to all of us. It is heartbreaking to see what has just happened in the last 24 hours as to the most terrible frightening biggest cyclone that has hit West Bengal.

And to hear what is being said by the minister, that this is the worst cyclone to hit West Bengal in living history and the damage is unthinkable and it is worst than the coronavirus.

In the Commonwealth we have been thinking about this, when I was in India we were talking about it. How we face the existential threats that comes from climate change but none of us was ready that while we face climate change issues we will simultaneously deal with a health pandemic which is equally lethal. These two&nbsp;things will create a financial challenge.

WION: How can Commonwealth have its own advantage to counter the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, supporting economic recovery after the crisis?&nbsp;

Patricia Scotland: What we discovered&nbsp;in 2015&nbsp;is that we have something very precious, it is the Commonwealth advantage because of our history, we speak the same language, same common law, we have same parliamentary system, similar institutions that gives us inbuilt 19 per cent&nbsp;advantage when it comes to trading with each other.

It is faster easier, cheaper to trade with a Commonwealth partner because of those similarities. In addition, we identified we trade 20 per cent&nbsp;more with each other&nbsp;than anyone else.

That is something we have not understood before. Up until last year, we had an opportunity to assess how much do we trade now. We trade $700 billion within the Commonwealth.

We have not really invested in that trade, we haven't supported it. So what we are now doing is how we are going to stimulate that. We hope by 2030 that can grow to $2 trillion.

We also know, when we look back in history, the financial difficulties, the crisis we had in 2008, the Commonwealth impact of coming together was very beneficial. We also know small and medium-size business is very important and we know that they are going to go through very difficult times in the next couple of years.

A number of businesses will be threatened with insolvency. We are worried about our regulatory structure and what would be necessary to ease it.

A number of member states do not have the sort of legal support they need. So all the Commonwealth countries are coming together to create a Commonwealth framework, Commonwealth best practice and we working really hard.

If we can pool the knowledge from those who have that knowledge and those who want it, no one is left behind.

India has made a real contribution. We have seen the contribution being made UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Ghana, the Caribbean, the Pacific, all of us coming together, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, the Pacific, the power of that collaboration is second to none and we in the secretariat have been trying to create a platform which will make that coordination easier.

Just as we created a collaborative partnership which we have called common sensing. Collaboration in space tech helped in identifying the terrible cyclone was on its way, we did that in Pacific when cyclone Harold hit.

We are readying ourselves, unfortunately, what common sensing data said that not only the biggest cyclone that we have seen is heading its way to India, Bangladesh but the next tragically will be the region of my birth.

Hurricanes are on the way to the Caribbean, that is our reality. We can help people to respond adequately only if all of us, all 54 continue to do what we have done in the last 70 years, and that is stick together.

I really want to thank India for its leadership, her commitment and continuity and look forward to even closer partnership in years to come so that we really benefit, the 2.4 billion people who we jointly serve.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Commonwealth which is the third biggest organisation in the world after the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement had lauded India's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, saying there is lot to learn from India.

The Commonwealth which is the third biggest organisation in the world after the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement had lauded India's handling of the COVID-19 crisis, saying there is lot to learn from India. Speaking exclusively to Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from London, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said, PM Modi "led from the very beginning" and "followed WHO guidelines really faithfully". Calling India's lockdown "necessary" to keep people safe, Patricia Scotland pointed out that not only "India looked after its own but also reached out to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles." She also talked about the "heartbreaking" Cyclone Amphan and the existential challenge of climate change. WION: What has been Commonwealth's response during the COVID-19 crisis. The health ministers of the Commonwealth met? Patricia Scotland: What we know and you are right, we have 2.4 billion people in our Commonwealth and important to remember, 60 per cent of that 2.4 billion are under the age of 30. We have a young vibrant population. Not only full of genius and opportunity and needs in terms of employability and what we have learnt after coming together, our 54 countries, is that we really need collaboration, coordination in order to support us with some of these quite existential threats which we are globally facing now, from climate change to the pandemic. So what our health minister understand is this pandemic knows no border, it doesn't respect people or place and it reached its tentacles in all of our homes and all of our lives. The only way, we can respond effectively to this pandemic is by coming together in solidarity through government's, civil society and countries and institutions. And that is what we in the Commonwealth are doing and that is the manifestation when we came together virtually at the world health assembly. In preparation, we did what we always do in the Commonwealth, we did Commonwealth health ministers meeting so that we can talk amongst our members, the small ones, the large ones, the landlocked ones, the rich ones, the poor ones because in our family we are always determined to leave no one behind. So when our family of ministers came together they were asking a number of very pertinent questions. The first was, what do we do, what are all we facing and then they were asking how have each of us responded and what has worked, what has not worked, what do we need in terms of medicines, equipment, research and asked and shared what do we have. Our family works on the basis that if one of us has something, we are willing to share with our brothers and sisters elsewhere. If you look at Commonwealth health ministers statement, I believe, it is an inspirational statement of warmth, solidarity, brotherhood and a real understanding, that this pandemic will only be solved in multilateral, multifaceted and multidimensional cooperation and that is what shines out of the Commonwealth and I was so proud of the information given by every single one of our members, from Fiji in the Pacific to India in Asia. Look at Ghana, Nigeria, UK, Canada all of us, the small island states in the Caribbean who have done such a fantastic job in keeping the virus at bay. So that collaboration was extraordinary. There was a lot of applause for what India has done, the way PM Modi has led from the very beginning. WION: How do you see India's response and do you see it can be emulated across the Commonwealth? Patricia Scotland: India has done an extraordinary job. If you look at when coronavirus attacked India, it was about the same time COVID-19 hit the US. The US has about 330 million people and India has 1.35 billion people but look at what Mr Modi did, he followed, the WHO guidelines really faithfully. That lockdown was so necessary because if you got 1.35 billion people, your most precious essence is your people if you have health, you can have wealth, but if you have no health, your people die, how will they become healthy and wealthy. So putting people first, it has been very difficult for India, because India is spending 4.5 billion dollars a day because of the lockdown but India has put lives of its people first. What is the consequence and the impact of what India has done, we have in India over a lakh case in India but look at the ability of India to reduce death with just around 3,300 deaths. Each one is a tragedy, each one devastating for the family members. But look at comparatively speaking those numbers have been contained. We only have to look at the tragedy unfolding in other countries. We have created a Commonwealth coronavirus tracker, it is updated every 24 hours. We have over 42,000 recoveries, and every recovery for every family is a joy. We have learnt a lot from what India has done how India has contained it. How India which as you know is the largest producer of generic drugs in the world, how India has not only looked after its own population but how she has reached out to others in the region, the assistance that has been given to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and look at how India has reached out to Seychelles and other small states. The money India has put into the India fund which is in the UN and the fact that India has identified $50 million out of $150 million for south-south cooperation for the Commonwealth. That leadership role has been really important and the fact India has committed 10 per cent of its GDP to help in recoveries and people who are suffering directly. I think that has been leadership and that has been inspirational. People have been talking about that 10 per cent amounting too $256 billion, real money put into the hands of the people of India. The money going directly through the JAM trinity, the policy had been everybody has a bank account, everyone has access to an individual identifier and that everyone has a mobile and that opportunity to make sure that money is getting directly into the hands of people who need it is so important particularly for women because we know that women are the one to look after the family, to feed them and care for them. This opportunity to give money directly to women in their hands on their phones have made an extraordinary difference, a remarkable one, giving them independence and I think that has been the single most impactful thing India has done to take millions of people out of poverty. It has been very impressive. People are watching, people are thankful, and the Commonwealth secretariat has been privileged to work very closely to work with India on a number of our objectives. WION: How do u see India playing a lead role as the largest member of the grouping - both in terms of size and population? Patricia Scotland: As you know, so many people are impressed by what India has done on Information and communications technology (ICT). Your minister has been at the forefront of the development of mobile apps, and this interoperability between business and people and government facilitating and developing. Minister Ravi Prasad has electrified the other members of our Commonwealth family. I remember clearly when the minister came to Sri Lanka for our law ministers meeting and the passion he had expressed on how we should have access to justice to every single person in our Commonwealth and our aspiration that we are going to link innovation and opportunity and the way in which India is trying to deliver services at one dollar per person. If you look at our poorer countries, our developing countries, smaller countries, they fear or cannot aspire to do or replicate what the developed countries have done because of the cost. When they look at India, and the fact India is developing these things because of the huge population, she is developing these things at a scale and a cost which is accessible to so many. That brings hope. I had a wonderful opportunity to come to India in January, talking to ministers, all of the elements and I understood India is focusing on how she can help the small, the vulnerable and the developing and I very much welcome that and I look forward to India to play a much bigger role in terms of our provision of technical assistance to our member states, this transfer of information. People are very excited about the use of Jugaad because this is how to do, with what you have and turn it into something which is electrifying and successful by using innovation, so the work we are doing with India on small and medium-sized businesses. The support India has given to trade facility, opportunity and all of these things are important and through the India Fund at the UN which has $50 million window for Commonwealth countries, we have been able to access to support for the Bahamas and Barbados. Both of our small Caribbean nations, small states are anxious at this time, particularly due to climate change which is a threat to all of us. It is heartbreaking to see what has just happened in the last 24 hours as to the most terrible frightening biggest cyclone that has hit West Bengal. And to hear what is being said by the minister, that this is the worst cyclone to hit West Bengal in living history and the damage is unthinkable and it is worst than the coronavirus. In the Commonwealth we have been thinking about this, when I was in India we were talking about it. How we face the existential threats that comes from climate change but none of us was ready that while we face climate change issues we will simultaneously deal with a health pandemic which is equally lethal. These two things will create a financial challenge. WION: How can Commonwealth have its own advantage to counter the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, supporting economic recovery after the crisis? Patricia Scotland: What we discovered in 2015 is that we have something very precious, it is the Commonwealth advantage because of our history, we speak the same language, same common law, we have same parliamentary system, similar institutions that gives us inbuilt 19 per cent advantage when it comes to trading with each other. It is faster easier, cheaper to trade with a Commonwealth partner because of those similarities. In addition, we identified we trade 20 per cent more with each other than anyone else. That is something we have not understood before. Up until last year, we had an opportunity to assess how much do we trade now. We trade $700 billion within the Commonwealth. We have not really invested in that trade, we haven't supported it. So what we are now doing is how we are going to stimulate that. We hope by 2030 that can grow to $2 trillion. We also know, when we look back in history, the financial difficulties, the crisis we had in 2008, the Commonwealth impact of coming together was very beneficial. We also know small and medium-size business is very important and we know that they are going to go through very difficult times in the next couple of years. A number of businesses will be threatened with insolvency. We are worried about our regulatory structure and what would be necessary to ease it. A number of member states do not have the sort of legal support they need. So all the Commonwealth countries are coming together to create a Commonwealth framework, Commonwealth best practice and we working really hard. If we can pool the knowledge from those who have that knowledge and those who want it, no one is left behind. India has made a real contribution. We have seen the contribution being made UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Ghana, the Caribbean, the Pacific, all of us coming together, Africa, Asia, Caribbean, the Pacific, the power of that collaboration is second to none and we in the secretariat have been trying to create a platform which will make that coordination easier. Just as we created a collaborative partnership which we have called common sensing. Collaboration in space tech helped in identifying the terrible cyclone was on its way, we did that in Pacific when cyclone Harold hit. We are readying ourselves, unfortunately, what common sensing data said that not only the biggest cyclone that we have seen is heading its way to India, Bangladesh but the next tragically will be the region of my birth. Hurricanes are on the way to the Caribbean, that is our reality. We can help people to respond adequately only if all of us, all 54 continue to do what we have done in the last 70 years, and that is stick together. I really want to thank India for its leadership, her commitment and continuity and look forward to even closer partnership in years to come so that we really benefit, the 2.4 billion people who we jointly serve.

Commonwealth lauds New Delhi's handling of COVID-19 crisis; says lot to learn from India

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